E.M. Ashe: American Impressionist

The New Canaan Historical Society has a new exhibit in The Silvermine Room featuring the beautiful art of Edmund Marion Ashe (1865 - 1941).  The Silvermine Room is dedicated to exhibiting the art and history of the early members of the Silvermine Artist’s Colony whose members were also involved with the community and drew residents of the Silvermine area into their activities.  All of the works in the Ashe exhibit are on loan from private collections, the majority are from a grandson of the artist. 

E.M. Ashe had an interesting career, including from 1896 to 1909, during the administrations of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, when he served as the White House artist-correspondent for Leslie’s Weekly, the New York Tribune, and the New York World.  At the same time he taught at the Art Students League and at William Merritt Chase’s New York Art School, where he met and befriended Robert Henri.  In his work the influences of both Chase and Henri are apparent.  A painting in the exhibit, Spirit of the Pool was shown in the legendary 1913 Armory Show known as the International Exhibition of Modern Art.