Havana, Cuba

A sophisticated and cosmopolitan painter and pastellist, William S. Horton moved among the most influential artistic circles of his day, forming friendships with painters such as Monet, Degas and Derain and exhibiting at some of the most well known art galleries of New York and Paris. Born in Michigan, Horton was raised in a wealthy family, leaving him free to study, paint and travel extensively. He began his studies at the Art Institute of Chicago, where John H. Vanderpoel and George Bellows were instructors, and continued at the Art Students League and the National Academy of Design in New York. Horton made his exhibition debut in 1888 at the National Academy, and within two years was also exhibiting in Boston and Philadelphia. In 1893 he moved to Paris, where he continued his studies at the Académie Julian with Benjamin Constant and J. P. Laurens until 1896. It was during his time in Paris that Horton developed the lush, fluid brushwork and harmonious, vivid color that typifies his work.

Influenced by the Impressionists and the innovations of the Post-Impressionist generation, Horton began to paint his sparkling landscapes en plein air, focusing his attention on the qualities of light, atmosphere and reflection. Like Monet, he painted a subject repeatedly at different times of the day or year, capturing a scene in its various moods. A confident draftsman who painted with a quick brushstroke and vibrant palette, Horton crossed between traditional and avant-garde circles, exhibiting at the Paris Salon at the Champ du Mars, as well and the more Modernist-oriented Salon d’Automne. In addition, he gained representation and mounted numerous solo shows at Galerie George Petit, one of the leading Impressionist dealers of Paris.
Although Horton was active in American art organizations and exhibitions, he spent most of his career living between London and Paris. He traveled extensively, making summer trips to Venice and winter trips to Switzerland, capturing the qualities of light on the canals or on the snowy Alps. His travels broadened after the death of his wife in 1932, and Horton’s oeuvre includes glowing scenes of Scandinavia, India, China, and Cuba.

Membership:
New York Water Color Club; Salmagundi Club; American Federation of Arts; Cercle Interallie; Cercle Volney; Salon d'Automne; Société Internationale; Société Moderne

Exhibited:
National Academy of Design, 1888-1896; Boston Art Club, 1890; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, 1890-1912; Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1895-1899; Salon d’Automne, Paris ; Art Institute of Chicago, 1897-1909; Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 1898-1914 (solo show, 1903); Galerie Bernheim Jeune, Paris, 1898-1914; International Exposition, Nantes, 1904 (gold medal); Galerie Charpentier, 1939 (retrospective)

Selected Museum Collections:
Brooklyn Museum; National Museum of American Art, Washington, D.C.; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University; McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College; Terra Museum, Illinois; Musée d’Orsay and Musée Carnavalet, Paris; Musée national de la cooperation franco-américaine, Blérancourt; Bradford Museum, England; Bootles Museum, Liverpool, England; National Museum, Stockholm, Sweden