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BRACKMAN,Robert,StillLifeinGray, 28 x36. Illustration—Plate 11
1
Inmakingopeningremarkstooneofhisclasses,Brackmanstatesthatbefore
beginningthestudyofpainting"wehavetobeawareofthetimesweliveinandbe
consciousofourcontemporaryartists,theirtrendsandtheirorigins....Thepeople
whocontroltheopinionsofartarethechieffactorsandpersonalitiesintheartworld
today;Imeanthemuseumdirector,theartcriticandtherestoftheprofessional
aestheteswhoteachartappreciation.Theyarealsothecustodiansofthetasteof
America,andtoholdthepublicinteresttheyfeatureartthatshocks,startlesand
arousescuriosity,whiletheyarebusilywritingbookstojustifytheiropinions.They
willhailanamateurandplacehimbesidethegreatestartistsofthepast;thismerely
confusesandkeepsthesecretofunderstandingforthefewwhocanagreewiththem."
Herecommendsastudyofthehistoryofart,"notjustanopinionatedinterpre-
tationorasuperficialoutline,butactualfactsandstraightbiographiesofthevery
earlypainters,sculptorsandarchitects,theirenvironmentandthesocialandeconomic
conditionsofthetimes....Ifyourworkbeginstoshowinfluencesofgreatartists,
thenitisasignthatyouunderstand,andthatyourtasteisimproving."Thisisfar
fromrecoinmendingacademicimitation,however;inspeakingoftheconceptionof
thepictureheobserves,"Therearenorulesincomposition. Itisnothingbuta
cultivationofdevelopmentandgoodtaste.Ifyoutakelotsoftimetostudythesub-
jectandbeconsciousofthescaleofyourcanvasbeforeyoubegintopaint,thenyou
are studyingcomposition."—KennethBates, Brackman,His Artand Teaching,
Noank,Connecticut:NoankPublishingStudio,1951.
BrackmanwasborninOdessa,Russia,in1898.Whenhewastenthefamily
migratedtotheUnitedStatesofAmerica.HestudiedartattheNational.Academyof
DesigninNewYorkandelsewhere.AmonghisteachersvsereRobertHenriand
GeorgeBellows.In 1940 hewaselectedafullacademicianoftheNationalAcademy
ofDesign.PrizesawardedhisworkincludetheAnonymousPrizeattheArtInstitute
ofChicago,1929;SaltusGoldMedalattheNationalAcademyofDesignin1941;
AnthenaemPrize,1932;ThomasB.ClarkPrize,1932;NoelFlaggPrize,1936;First
Prize,ConnecticutAcademyofFineArts,1947;andHonorableMentionintheshow
ofpaintingsintheUnitedStatesattheCarnegieInstitutein1949.
HehasbeenonthefacultyoftheArtStudentsLeagueofNewYorksince 1934
andtheAmericanArtSchoolofNewYorksince1951.From1936,theyearofhis
marriage,until1938,hetaughtattheBrooklynMuseum,andwasalsoguestinstruc-
torattheMinneapolisArtInstitutein1936.Hisworkisrepresentedinthepermanent
collectionsoftheBrooklynMuseum;MuseumoftheRhodeIslandSchoolofDesign;
UniversityofConnecticut;HonoluluAcademyofArts;Pasadena(California)Art
Institute;MetropolitanMuseumofArtinNewYork;Newark(NewJersey)Museum
Association;Montclair(NewJersey)ArtMuseum;HighMuseumofArtatAtlanta,
Georgia;NewHaven(Connecticut)PublicLibrary;Wilmington(Delaware)Society
ofthe FineArts;Minneapolis(Minnesota) InstituteofArts; Canajoharie(New
York)ArtGallery;NortonGalleryandSchoolofArt,WestPalmBeach,Florida;
Rockford(Illinois)ArtAssociation;EncyclopaediaBritannica;InternationalBusiness
MachinesCorporation;NewBritain(Connecticut)Institute;MuseumofFineArtsof
Houston,Texas;BrooksMemorialArtGallery,Memphis,Tennessee;Universityof
Georgia;Davenport(Iowa) MunicipalGallery;andtheToledo(Ohio) Museum
ofArt.BrackmanlivesinNoank,Connecticut.