Emile A. Gruppe

by Dr. Lori Verderame

Born in New York City, Emile A. Gruppe (American, 1896-1978) remains one of the most respected and revered artists of his generation. Best known for his harbor scenes of Gloucester, Massachusetts and vistas in and around Cape Ann like Gloucester Morning, Gruppe taught American artists in the first half of the 20th century and was an esteemed and popular teacher.

Cape Ann School

Gruppe painted scenes of Cape Ann and taught at the artist colony. He painted Cape Ann scenes as did Frederick Mulhaupt, Allan Freelon, Earl Horter, Fern Coppedge, and others. The American artist colony that grew up near Gloucester, Massachusetts shared similarities with the other artist enclaves of the early 20th century including New Hope, PA, Cos Cob, CT, and Provincetown, MA. Like these sites, artists gravitated to Cape Ann and Gloucester to capture the reflection of light on water as did the French Impressionists of the late 19th century such as Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro. The Americans painted en plein aire (or outdoors) and captured scenes directly onto canvas. The Cape Ann School of American Impressionism remains a strong academic aspect of the history of American art.

Artist, Teacher, Author

This Gruppe painting entitled Morning Harbor from the mature phase of his career is a prime example of the artist’s characteristic style showing, in both composition and palette, a work that is among his finest.

Gruppe conveyed innovative and groundbreaking information about the use of color, palette techniques, and color theory. He authored two books on the topic of art called Gruppe on Color and Gruppe on Painting.

Request an online appraisal for your Emile Gruppe artwork from Dr. Lori.