Lewis Henry Meakin (American, 1850-1917) was born in 1850 in Newcastle, England.  His family first emgirated to Canada in 1860, and then to Cincinnati in 1863. After studying in Europe, he became a lifelong teacher at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.  He is recognized as an important Midwest landscapist, who began working in a Tonalist manner, and then moved toward Impressionism around the turn of the century.  In 1891, he painted in Gloucester and Camden, and in 1893-94 he was with William Picknell in Paris, Normandy and Southern France.  In 1911-1917, he was a curator for the Cincinnati Art Museum.  George Bellows considered him to be "one of the best landscape painters in America".

Studied

McMicken School of Design 1877-81; Art Academy of Cincinnati with T.S. Noble; in Munich with Raupp, Gysis & Loeffts, 1882-86, 1890; Duveneck, 1891; Paris

Member

ANA, 1914; SWA (founder, pres.); Cincinnati AC; SC; Pan-Pac. Expo., San Francisco, 1915 (jury member)

Exhibited

McMicken School of Design 1877-82; Cincinnati Indust. Expo, 1881; PAFA Ann., 1892-1916; Boston AC, 1885, 1896; NAD, 1892-95; Cincinnati AM, 1894-1916,1936,1942; AIC, 1895-1916; Carnegie Inst., 1896-98, 1901, 1903-04, 1913; SWA, 1897-1913, 1906 (prize); Cincinnati AC, 1902; St. LouisExpo, 1904 (silver); Columbus Gal., FA, 1924; AIC, 1907; Corcoran Gal. biennials,1907-16 (6 times); NAC; St. Botolphe Cl., Boston; Pratt Institute, 1907 (solo); Appalachian Expo., Knoxville, 1911 (silver); Chicago, 1911 (prize); Exh. Am. Art, Berlin, 1914; Corcoran Gal., 1914; Univ. Cincinnati, 1968; Cincinnati Art Gal., 1987 (respective)

Work

Cincinnati Art Museum; Indianapolis AA; AIC

References

WW15; R. Boyle, exh. cat., Cincinnati Art Galleries (1987); Cincinnati Painters of the Golden Age; Falk, Exh. Record Series