1884-1970
A prolific artist and eccentric bon
vivant, the late, great Waldo Peirce won a place in art history-
and brought new meaning to the term "local color."
Waldo Peirce, once called the "last of the bohemians,"
was born in 1884 in Bangor during an era when the city was known
as the "lumber capital of the world"-but not as a place
known for nurturing bohemians. By the time he died, nearly a century
later, his passing was recorded in Time magazine with a sizzle
that matched both his work and persona:
"Waldo Peirce, 85, American Impressionist
painter, a bewhiskered giant of a man noted as much for his exuberant
lifestyle as for his bold, spontaneous art; of pneumonia . . .
Peirce lived with all the verve and gusto of his lifelong friend
and traveling companion Ernest Hemingway, even to the point of
taking four wives and running with the bulls in Pamplona. His
splashy, sensuously colored paintings, said one critic, 'smell
of sweat and sound like laughter.'" (Time, March 23, 1970)
Living in Paris off and on from 1910 to 1931, Waldo was immersed
in the artistic culture of the '20s. He began his studies at the
Academe Julien, where he quickly distinguished himself as a versatile,
passionate painter. He studied with the Spanish Impressionist
Ignacio Zuloaga, in Segovia.
Waldo found early success in Paris with his Impressionist paintings
as well as with commissions for portraits. Early in his career,
he showed a remarkable sensitivity and eventually his palette
was filled with vibrant colors. In 1915, in New York City, his
works were exhibited along with those of John Sloan, George Bellows,
and Edward Hopper.
Waldo's career continued to flourish throughout the 1930s. He
exhibited with Andrew Wyeth, George Bellows, and other artists.
His Haircut by the Sea was added to the permanent collection of
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Other works were placed
in a number of museums. He was very generous in donating paintings
to museums as well as to friends.
Over his lifetime, Waldo's technique and style changed, reflecting
various influences. Early on, it was the Impressionists, especially
Cézanne. His paintings of multipattern interiors, clothing,
and carpets reveal a strong Matisse flavor. His roly-poly children
suggest a taste for Renoir. Later in life, he could be placed
with the Regionalists, who painted scenes of everyday life, play,
and work.
During his lifetime, Waldo Peirce's work was acquired by most
of the country's major art museums, including the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, the Gallery of
American Arts, and many, many others. Regionally, there are many
places where his work can be enjoyed. Here are a few:
" The University of Maine Museum of Art (UMMA) is home to
a number of oils and watercolors; one finds his paintings mounted
on walls throughout the campus. Pond Street School hangs in the
provost's office.
" About a dozen or so donated paintings hang in the library
of the middle school in Searsport, where Peirce and his family
lived for many years. Other places in Searsport where you can
see his work are the Carriage House Inn and the Penobscot Marine
Museum.
" The Bangor Public Library owns a number of paintings, including
the processional scene hanging in the reference room, a portrait
of his uncle Luther mounted from time to time outside the director's
office, and a very large painting of peasants in the stairwell
leading to the children's reading room.
" The Bangor Jewish Council was gifted two paintings, both
done in Tunisia where Waldo and his third wife, Ivy, wintered
for a couple of years: a sensitive portrait of an Arab elder,
and a magnificent painting of the walled city of Hammamet.
" A number of private collections of his works exist throughout
the Bangor area. The Bangor Museum and Center for History is planning
an exhibition of the work of Waldo Peirce in the spring of 2006.
from the article in December 2005 Bangor
Metro Magazine
