“As a youngster, he was given his first art lessons by a local minister who gave him pointers on drawing. Burkhart's teachers and classmates were also aware of his talent and often recruited him to produce playbills, posters and other artistic announcements for school activities. His brother Paul, shared none of these attributes and was happy to become a farmer, just like his father” (2).
“He studied at the Art Student's League and then went to Provincetown where he took instruction from Charles Hawthorne” (1).
“Burkhart's instructor, Charles Hawthorne, urged Emerson to return to his roots and paint the truth that was his world growing up, the Midwest. He took this advice to heart and produced a prolific number of paintings and self-portraits over the next 45 years. Although Burkhart never carefully catalogued his life's work, he estimated in a 1964 interview that he had painted more than 4,000 works. By some estimates, he may have produce yet another 1,000 paintings in the last five years of his life” (2).
“He was primarily an American Scene painter, although he painted in both impressionist and post-impressionist styles. He documented African-American Life in Columbus that recalls the canvases of Ivan Le Lorraine Albright. He received two WPA mural commissions and after the death of his wife traveled as Artist in Residence for the American International School” (1).
“In the last years of his life, Burkhart shared with his friends that he had no regrets and planned to reinvent himself yet again. Nobody was really sure what he meant by that statement but it was clear that once the transformation took place, all of Columbus would know about it. Unfortunately, he never got the chance as a fatal stroke felled him in November, 1969” (2).
Reference:
1.
Askart Staff. Emerson Burkhart [internet]. [cited 2015 July 3]. Available from: http://www.askart.com/artist_bio/Emerson_C_Burkhart/19297/Emerson_C_Burkhart.aspx
2.
Emerson [internet]. 2014 [cited 2015 July 3]. Available from: http://www.emersonburkhart.info/emerson.html