Charles Sprague Pearce
American (1851-1914)
Painter and muralist Charles Sprague Pearce (1851-1914) was born in Boston and, following a short stint as a worker in his fatherÃs mercantile office, began his artistic career in 1872. He relocated to Paris to study at the atelier of Leon Bonnat, where he joined fellow student John Singer Sargent, and later traveled throughout Egypt with Frederic Bridgman. Although Pearce settled at Auvers-sur-Oise in France, he continued to exhibit extensively at venues throughout the United States and Europe, frequently earning gold medals for his submissions. Pearce also received the prestigious commission for six lunette panels for the interior of the Library of Congress. Today, his work is included in the collections of many major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery.