Margaret Fitzhugh Browne

American (1884-1972)

Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1884, Margaret Fitzhugh Browne was active in the art world as not only a painter but also a teacher, lecturer, writer, and critic. She received her artistic training at the Massachusetts Normal Art School where she studied with Joseph De Camp, Richard Andrew, and Albert H. Munsell, as well as at the Boston Museum of Fine Art School with Frank Benson. Although Browneís primary residence was in Boston, she also kept a studio on Cape Ann. Browne held membership in the National Association of Women Artists, the Guild of Boston Artists, the North Shore Art Association, the Audubon Artists, the Rockport Art Association, the Copley Society in Boston, the Allied Artist of American, the American Artists Professional League and others.
Browne exhibited her work extensively at group and solo shows, winning prizes at numerous prestigious institutions. During her career she displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Connecticut Academy of Fine Art, the Newport Art Association, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, DC, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Ogunquit Art Center, the Salons of America, and the Boston Art Club, as well as many other venues. Her works are housed in private and public collections including those of MIT, Boston University, Harvard University, and the Bureau of Standards in Washington, DC.
Although Browne enjoyed painting genre subjects and floral still lifes, she was primarily known for her expressive portraits, including those of Henry Ford and King Alphonso XIII of Spain. Browne discusses her painting philosophy in her 1933 book ìPortrait Paintingî.