Born Antonius Johannes Thieme in Rotterdam, Netherlands, he was sent to naval school by his parents in an attempt to discourage any notion of his pursuit of an art career. Thieme thought otherwise and at the age of 14 was enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts, Rotterdam from to 1902-1904, and at the Royal Academy at The Hague in 1905. In 1905, youthful wanderlust and a strong desire to study art, still against his parent’s will, led him to Dusseldorf, Germany where he worked as an apprentice artist to stage designer, George Hoecker. Circa 1907, Thieme traveled to Switzerland, then to Turin, Italy, where he worked as a stage designer until 1909, when he enrolled in the Scuola di Belle Arti. In 1910 he moved to Naples, Italy to sketch and paint, followed by travel to London, England in 1912. In 1917, he traveled to the United States and settled in New York City and soon received a commission as a set designer for the famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, at the Century Theater. Theime left for South America following the end of the commission, earning his way with stage design, followed by a return to Europe, working in England, France and Italy. A return to the United States in 1919 found him in Boston, Massachusetts, designing stages for the Copley Theater. Finally in 1928, artist Anthony Thieme ceased stage set design and focused on his painting and etching, setting up a studio in Copley Square. After his marriage in 1927, he moved to the art colony at Rockport, on Cape Ann in Massachusetts, a haven for American en plein air Impressionist painters. Thieme concentrated on painting seascapes and shore scenes, adopting the Impressionist style but including the influence of the Dutch tradition. Known as "Master of Light and Shadow" for the attention he paid to capturing on his canvases the effects of light on water, he directed the Thieme Summer School of Art in Rockport from 1929 to 1943, which he closed in 1943 due to poor health. He spent some time, between 1931-3 and 1932, in Los Angeles painting. A fire in 1947 destroyed his studio and a large part of his works produced over a 30-year period, delivering him a devastating blow. Perhaps to ease the pain of this loss Thieme traveled for a short stay to Charleston, South Carolina, followed by trips to St. Augustine Florida, where he set up a studio. During this time, he also visited the Caribbean islands and Central America. From 1950 to his death in 1954, Thieme summered in Rockport and wintered in St. Augustine. A prolific artist, Anthony Thieme was a member of the American Water Color Society; Art Alliance of America; Salmagundi Club; California Academy of Fine Arts; Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts; Boston Art Club; Providence Water Color Club; Boston Society of Artists; North Shore Art Association; Springfield Art League; Rockport Art Association; New York Water Color Club; American Artists Professional League; Gloucester Society of Artists; Art Alliance of Philadelphia; Philadelphia Painters Club; and the National Arts Club. Thieme exhibited at the National Academy of Design (1930-1934); Art Institute of Chicago (1930; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (1929-1931); Corcoran Gallery of Art (1932); Los Angeles Museum of Art (1930, 1931- Lucien Powell Citizen Jury Prize); Albright Art Gallery (1932); Detroit Institute of Art (1931); Salmagundi Club (1929 and 1931, medals); Springfield, Utah (1928 and 1931, medals); Gloucester Art Association (1928, medal); Springfield Art League (1927 and 1928, medals); North Shore Art Association (1930, medal); Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts (1930, Athenaeum Prize); Jordon Marsh Exhibition (Boston, 1944, medal); New York Water Color Club (1930, Delano Prize); Boston Tercentenary Exhibition (1930); Ogunquit Art Center (1930); New Haven Painters and Clay Club (1931, medal); Washington Water Color Club (1931, medal); Los Angeles Museum of Art; Hatfield Gallery (Louisiana, 1931); Pasadena Society of Artists (California, 1932); San Francisco Art Annual (California, 1932); Buck Hill Falls Art Association (Pennsylvania, 1938, medal); Contemporary Artists Association (1944, Gold Medal); Pan-American Art Show (Miami, Florida, 1949- award for the best marine painting); and the St. Augustine Art Association (1949, Dow Award). Thieme also exhibited in Belgium, France and Holland. 

Call now to talk about your interest in this Anthony Thieme (1888 - 1954) painting: 724-459-0612 - Jerry Hawk, Bedford Fine Art Gallery