Otto Henry Bacher (31 May, 1856-16 Aug. 1909) was one of Cleveland's first artists to travel to Europe and attain a national and international reputation. The Cleveland native was born on River St. near St. Clair Ave., son of Henry and Charlotte Bacher. He attended the Cleaveland Public Schools. After working as a decorator of lake vessels and local mansions, he began art studies under De Scott Evans in 1874 and became one of the founders of the Art Club. In company with fellow Clevelanders Willis Seaver Adams and Sion Wenban, Bacher left in 1878 for Europe, where he studied at the Royal Academy in Munich and with Cincinnati artist Frank Duveneck. Following Duveneck to Italy, he became a friend of James MacNeill Whistler, who printed some of his Venetian etchings on Bacher's press. Bacher was also highly regarded for his etchings, many of them depicting scenes from his early years in Cleveland. He returned to Cleveland twice in the l880s, teaching at the Art Club and during the summer in Richfield, O. He married a former Cleveland art student, Mary Holland, in 1888. By that time he had settled in New York City, where his paintings reflected the preoccupation with light embraced by the Impressionist movement. In 1908 he published Whistler in Venice, which had appeared first as a serial in The Century magazine. Bacher died in Bronxville, N.Y., survived by his wife and 4 sons: Robert, Otto, Eugene, and Will.
His paintings and etchings are found in the collections of most of the important art museums across North America, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago.
This painting is a perfect example of the American Impressionist movement. Unfortunately, we have not been able to identify the sitter.
Source: Sackerlotzky, Rotraud. F.C. Gottwald and the Old Bohemians (1993).
Artist: Otto Henry Bacher (1856-1909).
Medium: Oil on canvas.
Condition: Excellent condition. Original stretcher.
Dimensions: 66 x 53 cm. / 26 x 21 in.
Frame: 73.5 x 58.5 cm. / 29 x 24 in. Wood. Contemporary.
Origin: England.