Josephine Crawford (American/Louisiana, 1878-1952) , "Charles Henderson, the Artist's Nephew", oil

Josephine Crawford (American/Louisiana, 1878-1952) , "Charles Henderson, the Artist's Nephew", oil on canvas, unsigned, 24 in. x 20 in., framed, overall 31 7/8 in. x 27 1/2 in. x 1 1/2 in. Provenance: Estate of the sitter. Note: In the early twentieth century, Josephine Crawford, along with her contemporaries, Paul Ninas and Will Henry Stevens, pioneered a new style of art in New Orleans. While the art scene in New Orleans was still embracing Impressionism, Crawford and the others brought with them the teachings of Europe, popularizing Modernism and Cubism and ushering in a new era in the Crescent City.Crawford was born in New Orleans in 1878 and grew up in the French Quarter at 612 Royal Street. The daughter of Charles Campbell Crawford and Louise Bienvenu Crawford, she was raised speaking French and English. The young Crawford was a budding poet who drew inspiration from her family and her neighborhood. With her words, she captured the vibrant details of her surroundings, and her knack for observation would later make an appearance in her material art. Crawford started seriously studying art in her forties, attending classes a block away from her home in the newly inaugurated Arts and Crafts Club. New Orleans in the 1920s was becoming quite the cultural hub, drawing creatives from all over the country, including author William Faulkner. The Arts and Crafts Club provided an epicenter for local artists to take classes and exhibit their works and for the public to view important pieces from artists around the world. New Orleans remained Crawford’s home base where she eventually returned after leaving in 1927 to study under André Lhote in Paris, then at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Vienna. Her tenure in the Arts and Crafts Club had her working alongside artists such as Clarence Millet, Alberta Kinsey, Jane and Paul Ninas, John McCrady, Caroline Durieux, and Enrique Alferez among others. Her unique, fluid style won her the Club’s prestigious Blanche Benjamin Prize in 1934 for her portrait of a Creole widow entitled “Rue Kerlerec,” showcasing the strength of her creative talent particularly in portraiture. Crawford’s work was well-received in her lifetime and exhibited in cities such as Philadelphia, New York and Paris. She was often singled out in reviews for her unique and enthralling style. She was an integral part of the vibrant chapter of local art history encompassing the life of the Arts and Crafts Club of New Orleans which eventually shuttered in 1951. In 2009, The Historic New Orleans Collection held a retrospective exhibition of her works.Ref.: Hoffman, Louise C. Josephine Crawford. New Orleans: The Historic New Orleans Collection, 2009
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