Background
Born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, Imogene Robinson was the daughter of Otis and Sarah Dean (Raymond) Robinson.
Born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, Imogene Robinson was the daughter of Otis and Sarah Dean (Raymond) Robinson.
She studied art in Newark, New Jersey and New York City and then taught art in the Massachusetts towns of Charlestown and Auburndale. In 1856 she went to Europe, where she studied art in Düsseldorf and Paris.
Early In 1879 she became a widow. In 1876 she moved to Washington, District of Columbia While in Washington, District of Columbia she was a founding the National Academy of Fine Arts. She was the director of the National Academy of Fine arts for the next ten years.
Imogene Robinson Morrell was a history painter.
Her paintings were patriotic and contained images of historical figures, often with horses. She painted portraits of a number of famous people, including General John A. Dix, John C. Spencer, Howell Cobb, Mistress
Cleveland, Collis P. Huntington, West. West. Corcoran, and United States President Garfield. Her portrait of General John A. Dix hangs in the United States Capitol Building.
In 1896 more than 200 of her paintings in a Washington, District of Columbia warehouse were destroyed by fire, leaving her destitute.
Morrell died in Washington, District of Columbia in 1908.
She was a very active member of the art community.