Biography Jasper Francis Cropsey

jasper francis cropsey, self-portrait in narrows staten island, detail

cropsey born on father jacob rezeau cropsey s farm in rossville on staten island, new york, oldest of 8 children. young boy, cropsey had recurring periods of poor health. while absent school, cropsey taught himself draw. drawings included architectural sketches , landscapes drawn on notepads , in margins of schoolbooks.

trained architect, set own office in 1843. cropsey studied watercolor , life drawing @ national academy of design under instruction of edward maury , first exhibited there in 1844. year later elected associate member , turned exclusively landscape painting; shortly after featured in exhibition entitled italian compositions .

marriage , later life

cropsey married maria cooley in may 1847 , traveled in europe 1847–1849, visiting england, france, switzerland, , italy. elected full member of academy in 1851. cropsey personal friend of henry tappan, president of university of michigan 1852 1863. @ tappan s invitation, traveled ann arbor in 1855 , produced 2 paintings, 1 of detroit observatory, , landscape of campus. went abroad again in 1856, , resided 7 years in london, sending pictures royal academy , international exhibition of 1862.

cropsey had met maria cooley during 1 of visits greenwood lake after 1843. maria s father, isaac p. cooley, justice of peace 1837 1839 , became judge on new jersey court of common pleas in 1840. cooley became member of new jersey state house of assembly 1860 1861. cooley offered build cropsey studio on estate offer declined. in 1869 cropsey built 29-room gothic revival mansion , studio in warwick, new york named aladdin. living in new york city, spent part of time in warwick until mansion sold in 1884.

in 1884 cropsey first rented in 1885 bought house @ hastings-on-hudson, new york named ever rest. , maria had 2 children: mary cortelyou cropsey howells (b. september. 5, 1850, d. july 30, 1921) , lilly frances cropsey (b. july 16, 1859, d. february 21, 1889). cropsey lived @ ever rest until death , wife maria lived there until died in 1906, having been married frank 54 years.