Featured 19th Century Painter: MAX WEYL (AMERICAN 1837 – 1914)
- February 23, 2021 15:09
Born in Germany, artist Max Weyl immigrated to Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1853 and in 1861 moved to Washington, D.C., where he opened a jewelry store. Not trained as an artist, Weyl started painting flowers and still-lifes only as a hobby. Weyl was self-taught and was apparently too modest to display his paintings. It was not until 1870 that he began to display his artwork in the window of his jewelry store. As fate would have it, Samuel Kauffmann, president of the board of trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and publisher of the “Evening Star” newspaper, brought his watch to Weyl for repair. He was immediately taken with Weyl’s displayed artwork and bought a small landscape. Max Weyl’s reputation grew and he drew many Washington, D.C. patrons including the former Brazilian Ambassador, Salvador de Mendonca. In addition, Francis Cleveland, wife of U.S. President Grover Cleveland and Ellen Wilson, 1st wife of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, bought Weyl’s landscapes for the Whitehouse. Georgetown University, the Virginia Military Institute, Kiplingers Washington Editors and the Cosmos Club also purchased Weyl’s paintings. In 1879, Weyl travelled to Europe to study art in Munich, Paris, Vienna and Venice. Following his return he, with other area artists, founded the Washington Landscape School.In addition to offering the artwork below for sale, Bedford Fine Art Gallery is also actively seeking to purchase artwork by Max Weyl.