Caroline Van Hook Bean: The Last of the Impressionists

This book is dedicated to the life and career of Caroline van Hook Bean, (1879-1980). Trained by some of the first and greatest of America's Impressionist painters, Caroline went on to perhaps the longest active career of any American artist. From 1905-1921 Caroline was involved with the New York art scene at a critical time when the American Impressionists were evolving to produce the multifaceted art world of today. Caroline took courses from William Merritt Chase for many years. She was also instructed by Robert Henri and has been associated with his Group of Eight and the Ash Can group. Caroline's greatest fame came at the end of World War I when her series, "New York in Wartime" received critical acclaim by the New York media. By the time she was in her 90s she was being referred to as "The Last of the Impressionists" by the Washington DC media. In Palm Beach during the 1920s, Caroline was THE painter in demand by the rich and famous. Besides painting pictures of the houses and gardens of the wealthy, she was commissioned to paint many portraits including those of members of the Du Pont family, Marjorie Merriweather Post, Florenz Ziegfeld's wife Billie Burke ('Glinda the Good Witch' in "The Wizard of Oz") and Amelia Earhart. She was probably the first artist to paint Amelia Earhart's portrait. . Caroline van Hook Bean was active primarily in New York, Washington D.C. and Palm Beach, Florida. She lived most of her life in the Washington D.C. area. Here she did an extensive series of street scenes which she turned into lithographs. These prints sold well in Washington D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia gift shops and along with her portrait painting provided a source of income for many years. One of Caroline's best friends was Mary Allen Hulbert Peck, whose rumored affair with President Woodrow Wilson created scandal that affected both of Wilson's campaigns in 1912 and 1916 for the Presidency. Caroline met Mrs. Peck in Bermuda and painted her portrait in 1910. Two years later, Mary Allen Hulbert signed Caroline's autograph book on the same page as Mrs. Ellen A. Wilson (the President-elects's wife). Caroline and Mary remained friends and corresponded until Mary's death in 1939. Included in the book is a letter from Mary Allen Hulbert to Caroline giving her final assessment of Woodrow Wilson. Besides the wealth of information contained in Caroline's remaining effects, the author was allowed access to several sources of Caroline's correspondence and collections of her work. In this book, an effort has been made to publish nearly all of the known work by Caroline but the evidence suggests that many more of her works exist. The book also quotes Caroline's own words extensively in hopes that the reader will gain a true understanding of her personality. It has taken a few years to gather this material together and it is hoped that the life story and work of this talented woman will entertain many and inspire others to follow their own artist vision.

Table of Contents:
Foreword 1. Introduction 2. The Early Years 3. Studying With Harry Thompson - Painting at the Louvre 4. Studying With William Merritt Chase 5. The College Years 6. Studying With Robert Henri 7. In Search of a Mother-in-Law 8. Caroline and High Society 9. Caroline Marries Bart Blommers 10. New York in Wartime 11. With Palm Beach Society in the 1920s 12. Studying With John Singer Sargent 13. Caroline Marries Algernon Binyon 14. The Itinerant Painter 15. On The Road Again and the Last Words of Mary Allen Hulbert 16. Chronicling Georgetown 17. Back To Europe 18. More Paintings and Exhibits 19. The Kiplinger Washington Collection 20. The Last Years Appendix A- List of Patrons and Portrait Subjects Appendix B - List of Works by Series Appendix C- List of Names in Caroline's Autograph Book Illustrations