LILY MARTIN SPENCER (1822-1902)
Angelique Marie Martin, born in Exeter, England, came to the United States at the age of eight. By 1833, her family had settled near Marietta, Ohio, where she became known as "Lily." Showing a remarkable apptitude for painting she began taking art lessons at an early age from both Sala Bosworth and Charles Sullivan. Sullivan, who was confident of her talents, arranged an exhibition of Lily's work in 1841. This exhibit attracted such attention that Mr. Nicholas Longworth, a prominent Cincinnatian, offered to help her obtain art training in Cincinnati. In Cincinnati she was able to work and study with well-known artists such as James Henry Beard and John Insco.
In 1844, she married Benjamin Spencer and soon after moved to New York. The couple eventually settled in Newark, New Jersey, where they raised thirteen children. Her husband, who operated as her business manager, sold her paintings and promoted her work, while she devoted her time to painting. Her earnings as an artist were the primary means of income for the family.
Spencer's art work has long been recognized as a valuable document of the intimate world of the nineteenth century family and home. Particularly popular during her life, her portraits and genre paintings depicted the humor and sentiment of family life. Lily Martin Spencer died in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1902.
exhibit painting ||
other Lily Martin Spencer items ||
exhibit introduction
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