Background
Theophilus Brown was born on April 7, 1919 in Moline, Illinois, United States. He was a son of an inventor and chief designer, who worked at the John Deere Company in Moline, Illinois.
New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
In 1941, Theophilus received Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating from Yale University.
2000 Carleton Street, Berkeley, CA, United States
Brown attended the University of California, Berkeley, and received his Master of Arts degree in 1952.
111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
Since 1955 to 1957, Theophilus held the post of an instructor at Art Institute of Chicago.
1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, United States
From 1956 to 1960, he acted as an instructor at the University of California, Davis.
1450 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States
In 1967, Brown also worked as an instructor at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.
450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
In 1967, Brown held the post of an instructor at Stanford University.
From left to right: Paul Wonner, Theophilus Brown, Charles Campbell and Wayne Thiebaud.
Theophilus Brown in his Berkeley studio.
Theophilus Brown was born on April 7, 1919 in Moline, Illinois, United States. He was a son of an inventor and chief designer, who worked at the John Deere Company in Moline, Illinois.
In 1941, Theophilus received Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating from Yale University. There, Brown befriended composer Paul Hindemith and poet May Sarton. Some time later, he continued his education at the University of California, Berkeley, and received his Master of Arts degree in 1952.
Also, Brown studied art under Amédée Ozenfant and Fernand Léger.
Between 1941-1942, Brown served in the army. In 1954, he was appointed an instructor at the University of California, Berkeley, a post he held till 1956. During the period from 1955 to 1957, Theophilus held the same position at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1957, he held his first solo exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Also, Brown held the post of an instructor at other educational institutions, including the University of California, Davis (1956-1960), University of Kansas in Lawrence (1967) and Stanford University (1967).
Although Brown’s work is exemplary of the Figurative movement, his artistic development and journey are closely associated with that of his partner, Paul Wonner. He continued his exploration of the figure during the 1960’s, experimenting with abstraction, light and color. Theophilus continued to paint and draw in his eighties. In his later years, he still managed to paint daily.
Also, the artist participated in many exhibitions, held at different museums, institutions and galleries, including Stanford Art Gallery in California (1996), California State University in Sacramento (2005) and Minnesota Marine Art Museum (2011).
Brown was a prominent member of the Bay Area Figurative Movement.
Theophilus Brown was a voracious reader. Also, once a week, he played piano sonatas, accompanied by a violinist.
Quotes from others about the person
"The paintings of William Theophilus Brown are comfortable to live with. But one must not be deceived that this comfort is of blindness or indifference to the contemporary world. Rather, it is the comfort we feel in the presence of a sagacious friend who knows all the scandals and atrocities of the town’s happenings, but who sees no reason to alarm his friends with shocking gossip and strives above all to retain humanness in all his relationships. And perhaps the harmony of these painting is something that lies more deeply in the universe than its temporal eccentricities and conflicts. Perhaps to appreciate these paintings best, we must learn to accept the reality of harmony and oneness as surely as that of chaos." — William Inge, a playwright
Paul Wonner was Brown's life partner.