Background
Charles was born on September 12, 1867, in Roxbury, Maine, United States. He was the son of Josephine Elizabeth (née Lovett) and Charles DeWolf Gibson. His parents later moved to Flushing, New York.
Art Students League, New York, United States
Beginning in 1884, Charles Dana Gibson studied for almost two years at the Art Students League in New York City.
Flushing High School, New York, United States
]Charles Dana Gibson studied at Flushing High School.
Charles Dana Gibson
Charles Dana Gibson
Charles Dana Gibson
(This affordable volume reprints one of Gibson's best orig...)
This affordable volume reprints one of Gibson's best original collections in its entirety, presenting the iconic drawings as published in their original form more than 100 years ago. In addition to dozens of sketches of gorgeous Gibson Girls, this volume includes the artist's "The Weaker Sex" series, a droll sequence of vignettes depicting a smitten young man and the object of his affections.
https://www.amazon.com/Eighty-Drawings-Including-Susceptible-Bachelor/dp/0486491048/?tag=2022091-20
1903
Charles was born on September 12, 1867, in Roxbury, Maine, United States. He was the son of Josephine Elizabeth (née Lovett) and Charles DeWolf Gibson. His parents later moved to Flushing, New York.
Charles Dana Gibson studied at Flushing High School. He was apprenticed briefly to Augustus St.Gaudens. Beginning in 1884, he studied for almost two years at the Art Students League in New York City, and in 1886 his drawings were accepted by John Ames Mitchell for Life, the humorous weekly.
After Gibson completed his education, he embarked into the publishing world of New York, hoping to sell some of his works. Unfortunately, it took him more than a year to sell his first drawing. John Ames Mitchell, the editor of Life, saw talent hidden within Gibson’s rough work and bought his first work in 1886, a drawing depicting a song from the play Lhe Mikado. After this first sale, it did not take Gibson long to receive additional commissions. He gradually gained a reputation as an artist who could deliver within a two-hour deadline. With the weekly publication Tid-Bits, Gibson was given the opportunity to improve his work and advanced from spot drawings to single-page spreads to double-page spreads.
Gibson’s increasing commissions and success enabled him to move to a better studio and to take a trip to Eu-rope that would forever change his art. He visited some influential art centers in London.
It was also in Europe that he came into contact with the works of well-known British illustrator George du Maurier and artist Phil May. As a matter of fact, May’s long, flowing lines became Gibson’s trademark.
Upon Gibson’s return to the United States, his true period of success began. His 1893 Chicago World’s Fair! exhibition of thirty-nine drawings received critical success. Gibson also made tremendous contributions to the field of advertising. As noted by Hastedt, Gibson “was well on the way to becoming one of the foremost black-and-white illustrators of his day.”
Although Gibson was already enjoying notable success with his illustrations, his 1894 publication Drawings, which contained his first drawing of his famous creation, the Gibson Girl, would catapult him into history. According to Hastedt, “Tall, athletic, and beautiful, she epitomized the characteristics of the ideal woman for America and answered American society’s yearnings for an aristocracy.” However, the Gibson Girl’s popularity was not limited to the United States. Gibson went on to create seven different Gibson Girls: the Beauty, the Boy-Girl, the Flirt, the Sentimental, the Convinced, the Ambitious, and the Well-Balanced. With each creation, the style of the Gibson Girl influenced countless women to rush to change their clothes and hairdos to match.
Although he could not afford to give up the Gibson Girl, he soon found another way to use her popularity. Gibson, who held America’s “aristocracy” in disdain, used the Gibson Girl to publish a series of comical satires that poked fun at the elite and the rich. Gibson continued to contribute illustrations to magazines and books. One of Gibson’s popular series was 1899’s The Education of Mr. Pipp of New York. In addition to his magazine and book projects, he also completed forty-one drawings for his 1897 exhibition at the Keppel Gallery in New York, which was well received by critics.
In 1903 Gibson became the highest-paid illustrator when he was accepted a four-year contract with Collier’s to produce one thousand illustrations at one thousand dollars apiece. In 1905 he gave up drawing and moved to Europe to take up painting.
Gibson studied oil painting in Spain, Italy, and France, but he was forced to return to America and take up drawing again when the collapse of the Knickerbocker Trust Company compromised his financial security. However, after a three-year absence, Gibson’s works were no longer in demand; the art scene in America had changed. His Gibson Girl was being slowly replaced by the image of the “flapper” girl of the Roaring Twenties. However, when World War I began, Gibson became part of the war effort. The Gibson Girl became “Miss Columbia” and encouraged Americans to unite, buy Liberty Bonds, and support Europe.
In 1920, upon the death of his friend Mitchell, Gibson bought Life and became editor-in-chief of the magazine. He sold the magazine in 1932. Toward the end of his life, Gibson continued to paint, and in 1934 he held the first exhibition of his paintings at the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
(This affordable volume reprints one of Gibson's best orig...)
1903Charles was a member of National Academy of Design, Society of Illustrators.
Although Gibson was a talented artist, he had no talent for running a business.
Quotes from others about the person
As noted by Dictionary’ of Literary’ Biography contributor Catherine A. Flastedt, “No other American illustrator has had such a profound and direct influence on the American people as Charles Dana Gibson.”
In 1895, Gibson married Irene Langhorne, born in Danville, Virginia. One of her four sisters was Nancy Astor (Lady Astor), the first woman to serve as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons. His wife and her elegant Langhorne sisters also inspired his famous Gibson Girls.
Charles had children: Irene, Langhorne.