Gertrude Abercrombie: A Life in Art

• Born: Austin, Texas (February 17, 1909)
• Died: Chicago, Illinois (July 3, 1977)
• Nationality: American

Early Life and Education

• Gertrude Abercrombie was born into a family of traveling opera singers. Her parents, Tom and Lula Janes Abercrombie, frequently moved due to their profession.
• The family spent time in Berlin in 1913 before returning to the United States amidst World War I. They eventually settled in Hyde Park, Chicago.
• She received a degree in Romance Languages from the University of Illinois in 1929.
• Briefly studied figure drawing at the Art Institute of Chicago and took a year-long course in commercial art at the American Academy of Art.
• Early employment included creating advertisements for Mesirow Department Store and working as an artist for Sears.

Artistic Development and Style

• Abercrombie dedicated herself to painting by 1932, achieving her first sale in 1933.
• Her work during the 1930s was influenced by European Surrealism, though she didn't explicitly identify with the movement. She considered herself a Midwestern artist.
• She participated in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project from 1934 to 1940.
• Her style evolved from impressionistic brushwork to a more precise, linear approach.
• Recurring themes and symbols include self-portraits, interiors, landscapes, owls, cats, keys, shells, doors, stairways, and ladders.
• She often depicted solitary figures in sparsely furnished rooms, creating an atmosphere of introspection and mystery.
• Her color palette shifted from dark, earthy tones to lighter hues after her second marriage.
• Abercrombie's work is characterized by a dreamlike quality, elongated figures, and a symbolic vocabulary.

Influences and Notable Works

• Giorgio de Chirico: Abercrombie’s style shows influence from the Italian metaphysical painter.
• Ivan Albright & Julia Thecla: Shared regional magical realism with these contemporaries.
• Jazz Music: Her close relationships with jazz musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker profoundly influenced her artistic vision, inspiring "Gertrude's Bounce" by Richie Powell.
• Notable Works: White Cat (1938), Slaughterhouse Ruins at Aledo, Witches, Self-Portrait of My Sister, and numerous smaller works depicting interiors and symbolic objects.

Legacy and Historical Significance

• Abercrombie is recognized as a significant figure in the Chicago art scene and a key representative of American Surrealism.
• Her unique style and introspective themes have garnered increasing attention from scholars and collectors.
• The Gertrude Abercrombie Trust, established through her will, distributed her work and that of other artists she supported to cultural institutions throughout the Midwest.
• A major retrospective of her work was held at the Hyde Park Art Center shortly before her death in 1977.
• Her art continues to be celebrated for its dreamlike quality, symbolic depth, and exploration of personal identity.