Elizabeth Norton (artist)

Elizabeth Sawyer Norton (1887–1985) was an American artist, known for her bronze sculptures, paintings, and printmaking. The subject of her work often featured animals, landscapes and/or portraits. She lived in Palo Alto, California, from 1919 until her death in 1985.[1]

Not to be confused with Elizabeth Norton.
Elizabeth Sawyer Norton
Born(1887-12-16)December 16, 1887
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedAugust 7, 1985(1985-08-07) (aged 97)
Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Resting placeGraceland Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
EducationArt Institute of Chicago,
Art Students League of New York,
National Academy of Design, Chase School
Known forprintmaking, painting, sculpture

Early life and education

Elizabeth Sawyer Norton was born December 16, 1887 in Chicago, Illinois to lawyer James Sanger Norton (1844–1896) and Frances Julia Rumsey (1850–1933).[2][3][4]

Norton studied fine art at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1910.[2][1] She continued her studies at Art Students League of New York with Frank DuMond, the National Academy of Design of New York and the Chase School (which later became Parsons School of Design).[1][2]

While still living in New York City, one of her students was sculptor, Katharine Underhill (b. 1892).[5]

Career

Norton had a successful career and exhibited her art in many galleries in New York City.[1] She had made artistic contributions to exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution throughout her career.[6][7]

She had an older sister named Frances Sanger Norton (married name, Brown) that had moved to Palo Alto, California because her husband Harry Brown was a professor in the Philosophy Department at Stanford University.[8] Norton traveled to California in 1915 to attend to Panama–Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) and to visit her sister.[1][8] She returned four years later in 1919 to move to Palo Alto, after struggling with bouts with the flu.[1][8] Her brother-in-law Harry Brown designed her home at 353 Lowell Avenue.[8][9]

When Norton moved to California she became interested in printmaking, prior to which she primarily worked in sculpture, pastels, and oil paint.[10] Norton was a founding member of the Palo Alto Art Club (now the Pacific Art League) in 1921.[11] Norton was a member of the California Society of Etchers; Palo Alto Art Club (now known as the Pacific Art League); American Federation of Arts; and San Francisco Women Painters.[1]

Death and legacy

In the last 20 years of Norton's life she lived at Channing House, a retirement community in Palo Alto.[8] Norton died on August 7, 1985 in Palo Alto, California and is buried in Chicago at the Graceland Cemetery.

Her work is in many public museum collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art,[12] the Fogg Museum of Art,[13][14] Yale University Art Gallery,[15] Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art,[16] Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF),[17] the Smithsonian Institute's National Portrait Gallery,[18] among others.[2]

The Pacific Art League of Palo Alto dedicated a solo-exhibition gallery in her name, the "Elizabeth Norton studio" and the "Elizabeth Norton Distinguished Service Award".[11]

Her bronze bust of David Starr Jordan is on display at Hoover Institution at Stanford University.[8]

Exhibitions
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References
  1. Hughes, Edan Milton (2002). Artists in California, 1786-1940. Sacramento, California: Crocker Art Museum. p. 822. ISBN 978-1884038082.
  2. Heller, Jules; Heller, Nancy G. (2013-12-19). North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century: A Biographical Dictionary. Routledge. p. 409. ISBN 978-1-135-63882-5.
  3. "Norton, Elizabeth". Benezit Dictionary of Artists. doi:10.1093/benz/9780199773787.article.b00131511. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  4. "James S. Norton's Will in Probate". Chicago Tribune. 1896-09-25. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  5. Levy, Florence Nightingale (1917). American Art Directory, Volume 14. R.R. Bowker. p. 629.CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  6. Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution: Report of the U.S. National Museum. U.S. Government Printing Office, United States National Museum. 1924. p. 118.
  7. Report on the Progress and Condition of the U.S. National Museum for the Year Ending June 30, 1934. U.S. Government Printing Office, United States National Museum. 1933. p. 59.CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  8. "And nobody needed a furnace" (PDF). The Tall Tree, Palo Alto Historical Society. pahistory.org. Volume 29, Number 6: 3–4. March 2006.
  9. "353 Lowell, Centennial Home". Palo Alto Stanford Heritage. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  10. "Typical Norton, Wood Block Artist Likes Animals". Newspapers.com. The San Francisco Examiner. April 25, 1926. p. 70. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  11. Israel, Robyn (April 6, 2001). "So you want to be an artist? Now in its 80th year, Pacific Art League of Palo Alto continues to nurture local talent". PaloAltoOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  12. "Art collection: Elizabeth Norton". The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
  13. "Collection: Elizabeth Norton, American (1887–1958), Pony in a Hurry". Harvard Art Museums. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  14. "Collection: Elizabeth Norton, American (1887–1958), Little Grey Cat". Harvard Art Museums. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  15. "Collection: Gentleman from Siam". Yale University Art Gallery. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  16. "Elizabeth Norton – Artists/Makers". The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  17. "Elizabeth Norton". FAMSF Search the Collections. 2018-09-21. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  18. "David Starr Jordan". National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institute. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  19. "Courvoisier Gallery 474 Post St. Exhibition of Woodblock Prints and Sculpture, Elizabeth Norton". Newspapers.com. The San Francisco Examiner. November 24, 1929. p. 60. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  20. "Brief Art Notes". Newspapers.com. The San Francisco Examiner. December 1, 1929. p. 63. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  21. "Trims Room California State Library". Newspapers.com. The Sacramento Bee. June 27, 1942. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-07-12.

Elizabeth Norton at Find a Grave

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