Encouraged from an early age, Colin Campbell Cooper’s remarkable talents as an artist were matched only by his love of beauty and passion for travel. Cooper’s formal training began at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art under Thomas Eakin in 1879 and continued with studies in France, at various times, at Academies Julien, Delacleuse, and Viti. At age twenty-five, Cooper began a lifelong pursuit of adventure with a journey out West where he painted landscapes of Colorado plateau. Soon thereafter, Cooper made his first of many trips to Europe and Asia. His travels were so frequent that he and his wife Emma found themselves on the deck of the Carpathia as witnesses to the rescue of the survivors of the Titanic in 1912.
Among Cooper’s most significant works are those which depict the accomplishments of mankind, and specifically, it’s architectural marvels. Roman ruins, Eastern temples, Gothic cathedrals, and, of course, New York skyscrapers (even belching locomotives) are presented as cultural expressions of time and place. In contrast, Cooper’s poetic plein air landscape sketches underscore the artist’s appreciation of the sublime beauty of nature. Sullivan Goss proudly presents a selection of works from the artist’s estate, some of which have not been on view for more than fifty years and includes fine oils and works on paper.
In 2006, Dr. William Gerdts and Dr. Deborah Epstein Solon will organize a major retrospective of the artist’s work to be accompanied by a substantial monographic catalog.
- Edward Cella
