Aldro Hibbard

Aldro Thompson Hibbard (August 25, 1886 – November 12, 1972) was an American plein air painter known for his depictions of snowy landscapes, particularly of Vermont.^[1] Hibbard worked in oil, as watercolor couldn't be used in January and February in the mountains of Vermont. He lived most of his life in Rockport, Massachusetts.

Aldro T. Hibbard
Born	(1886-08-25)August 25, 1886 Falmouth, Massachusetts
Died	November 12, 1972(1972-11-12) (aged 86) Rockport, Massachusetts
Nationality	American
Education	School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts
Known for	Painting

Early life

Hibbard was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts to James Thompson Hibbard and to the former Katherine Swift. Hibbard's father sold sewing machines and his mother was a homemaker who had a fondness for nature and spiritualism. He had one older sister, Adeline. Hibbard was raised in the Boston suburbs of Roxbury and Dorchester and graduated from Dorchester High School in 1906. Hibbard was captain of the baseball team at Dorchester High School.^[2][3] As a young man, he often spent summers visiting family in Falmouth,^[2][4] and in 1911,^[5] 1913,^[6] 1915,^[7][8][4] and 1916,^[9][10][11] he played baseball for the "Cottage Club", Falmouth's town team in what is now the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Hibbard enrolled in the Massachusetts Normal Art School which is now known as Massachusetts College of Art and Design (or MassArt) in 1906. Here he studied with Ernest Lee Major, Joseph DeCamp, Frederic Andrew Bosley all of whom were well known painters of portraits and still life. He worked his way through college, walking back and forth to Dorchester to attend classes six days a week and also attending night classes several times a week. He rarely arrived home before midnight. Due to his work ethic, Hibbard completed the four year normal art school program in three years and in 1909 enrolled at the school of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (now known as School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts) to continue his studies. Here he studied with Frank Weston Benson, Phillip Leslie Hale and Edmund Charles Tarbell who were instructors in the new school of American Impressionism at that time. Hibbard studied at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston for an additional four years and upon graduation was awarded in 1913 with the Paige Traveling Scholarship, one of only four scholarships and the only American to receive the scholarship for this year.^[12] With the resources now to travel to Europe and study for two years, Hibbard departed Boston aboard the SS Arabic bound for Cobh, Ireland in September 1913. Hibbard spent time in England, France, Spain, Morocco, and Italy. He was able to study and sketch from many masters and had exposure to the life of Europe. He explored both town and landscape venues.^[13] Due to the declaration of War 29 July 1914 (Italy), Hibbard made his way back to England there boarding the SS Arabic in November 1914 bound for Boston.^[14]

Career

The National Academy of Design awarded Hibbard the 1922 First Hallgarten Prize for Late February, and the 1928 Second Altman Prize for Snow Mantle.[1] He also won gold medals at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for the year 1922, 1927 and 1931.^[15]

Hibbard traveled extensively early in his career across the United States and Canada seeking mountainous venues.^{[citation needed]} He then gravitated to Rockport where many artists coalesced to form what is now known as the Rockport Art Association, including Charles R. Knapp and Harry Aiken Vincent.^[16] Hibbard was president of the association for over 20 years. He also was an instructor for many years creating the Hibbard School of Painting in Rockport. He spent his summers instructing in Rockport and then painting in Vermont in the winter months.^{[17][18][19][20][21]}

Hibbard was a member of many American art organizations, including the Rockport Art Association^[22] and the North Shore Art Association.^[16] He was a National Academician of the National Academy of Design granted Associate National Academician in 1923 and National Academician in 1933.

Legacy

Hibbard influenced Rockport artists including Emile Gruppe, Tom Nicholas, Paul Strisik, Marguerite Stuber Pearson, and Roger Curtis.^{[citation needed]}

His paintings, which are associated with the Boston School of painting,^[23] are in many museums including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Currier Museum of Art, Portland Museum of Art, Whistler House Museum of Art, corporations and other prominent private collections. Some of Hibbard's paintings were sold at Invaluable auction site.^[24][25]

Aldro Hibbard's current^{[when?][26][27]} record at auction occurred on February 3, 2012 at Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers, when Winter in New England, Probably a West River, Vermont View, estimated at $25,000-$35,000, sold for $88,875.^{[27][citation needed] [25][27]} Along with Anthony Thieme, Hibbard is generally regarded as the most expensive Rockport painter at auction.^{[citation needed][27]}

References

1. Aldro T. Hibbard, McDougall Fine Arts Galleries website (2023-04-07). "Aldro Thompson Hibbard". McDougall Fine Arts Galleries, LLC. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
2. "Additional Falmouth Locals". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. July 29, 1905. p. 4.
3. "» Aldro Hibbard Prints". Retrieved 2023-04-08.
4. "Exhibition of Paintings by Mr. Aldro T. Hibbard". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. February 12, 1916. p. 3.
5. "Good Players Secured for Falmouth Team". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. August 26, 1911. p. 6.
6. "Cottage Club 12, Wellfleet 3". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. August 2, 1913. p. 3.
7. "Baseball Games at Falmouth Heights". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. June 26, 1915. p. 7.
8. "Baseball at Heights". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. July 17, 1915. p. 7.
9. "Baseball Season Opens". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. July 1, 1916. p. 2.
10. "Brownies Defeated". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. August 12, 1916. p. 7.
11. "Results of the Games". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. September 9, 1916. p. 6.
12. Art in Embassies, US Department of State (2023-04-07). "Aldro T. Hibbard – U.S. Department of State". Art in Embassies - US Dept. of state. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
13. Aldro Thompson Hibbard, The ArtNet site (2023-04-07). "A collection of his various landscape, nature and buildings fine art". www.artnet.com. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
14. "Some Falmouth People Who Are Stranded in Europe". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. August 15, 1914. p. 5.
15. A. Hibbard (won gold medals), Avery Galleries (2023-04-07). "Aldro Thompson Hibbard | Avery Galleries". averygalleries.com. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
16. Vincent, L.M. (2011). In search of Motif No. 1: the History of a Fish Shack. Arcadia Publishing.
17. Aldro Thompson Hibbard, Winter scene paintings. "Vose Galleries - Aldro T. Hibbard". www.vosegalleries.com. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
18. "Aldro Thompson Hibbard - 14 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy". www.artsy.net. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
19. McCarthy, Gail. "Around Cape Ann: Aldro Hibbard masterwork returns to Rockport". Gloucester Daily Times. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
20. Riedel, Catherine (2012-12-03). "Landscape Paintings from A. T. Hibbard | Antiques & Collectibles". New England. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
21. "Aldro Thompson Hibbard | All Auction Results". www.mutualart.com. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
22. Hibbard, HT (Aldro's granddaughter). "Artist – HT Hibbard Landscapes". HTHibbard (the granddaughter of Aldro Hibbard ). Retrieved 2023-04-08.
23. Volpe, Christopher (2007). . Traditional Fine Arts Organization. Archived from the original on 2010-11-07.
24. Aldro T. Hibbard, Invaluable Auction website (2023-04-07). "Invaluable Auctions". Invaluable Auctions. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
25. 1stDibs online for art sale (2023-04-07). "Aldro Thompson Hibbard Art - 6 For Sale at 1stDibs". 1stDibs.com. Retrieved 2023-04-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
26. Aldro Hibbard 1948 oil painting appraised at $48K, PBS Antique Roadshow. "Antiques Roadshow | PBS". Antiques Roadshow | PBS. Retrieved 2023-04-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
27. ArtFixDaily site -Record Price for Hibbard at Skinner's $2.7 Million Fine Painting & Prints Auction, Aldro Hibbard painting sold at auction (2012-02-14). "Record Price for Hibbard at Skinner's $2.7 Million Fine Painting & Prints Auction". ArtfixDaily. Retrieved 2023-04-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Sources

• A.T. Hibbard, N.A.: Artist in Two Worlds, by John L. Cooley, published 1968.
• Rockport Sketchbook, by John L. Cooley, published 1965.
• "Aldro T. Hibbard, Painter of New England Winters", American Artist, June 1940.
• "The Legacy of Cape Ann," by James Keny, American Art Review, Oct./Nov. 1995.
• "A New View of Aldro Hibbard", by Charles Movalli, American Artist, May 1979.
• Art For All, The Cape Ann School, by Lisa B. Martin.
• The Inspiration of Cape Ann, by Tom Davies, Rockport Art Association, 1993.
• Gloucester, Views of the Art Colony by American Masters, by R.H. Love, R.H. Love Galleries, Oct./Nov. 1991

External links

• Aldro Hibbard essay