Alfred East

Alfred East was an English landscape painter born in Kettering, Northamptonshire. His family worked in the shoe-making industry, but East knew from an early age that he wanted to become a painter. He eventually traveled to Paris to study at the Académie Julian under Tony Robert-Fleury (1837–1911) and William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905). During his time in France, East was deeply influenced by the Barbizon School, which emphasized naturalism and an unidealized depiction of the natural world. In 1889, East was commissioned by Marcus Huish, director of the Fine Art Society, to spend six months painting and sketching in Japan. He also traveled extensively throughout his career, painting in Spain, Italy, North Africa, and the United States. In 1910, the Art Institute of Chicago held a solo exhibition of his landscapes, and it was likely during this trip that East also visited New York City and Philadelphia. East was equally celebrated in his home country. He exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy in London, becoming an associate in 1899 and a full member posthumously in 1913. East was elected president of the Royal Society of British Artists in 1906 and held the position until his death eight years later. In 1910, King George V awarded East a knighthood. To celebrate the honor, East donated 70 of his works to his hometown of Kettering, which are now housed in the collection of the Alfred East Gallery. Although East was too ill to attend the gallery’s opening, the institution remains open and continues to exhibit his work more than a century later. Today, East’s paintings are held in numerous prestigious institutions. In the United States, his work can be found in collections including the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Yale Center for British Art, and the Duquesne Club. Abroad, his paintings are held by institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum, as well as other museums across Europe, Asia, and Oceania.