Notre-Dame
by John Whorf (1903–1959)21¾ x 29¾ inches
Signed lower right: John Whorf
Provenance
Private collection
Sale, Eldred’s, East Dennis, Massachusetts, February 3, 2023, lot 2586, from above
Private collection, New York, New York, acquired from above
Note: Around 1919, John Whorf traveled to France while on an extended trip abroad. In Paris, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, Académie de la Grande Chaumière, and Académie Colarossi, and it was during this time that Whorf began using watercolor as his primary medium. He later returned to France with his wife, Vivienne Wing, on their honeymoon.
Artist Biography
Leading New England watercolorist best known for his depictions of Provincetown and Boston, Massachusetts
By Jenny Lyubomudrova
I. Biography
II. Chronology
III. Collections
IV. Exhibitions
V. Memberships
VI. Notes
VII. Suggested Resources
I. Biography
John Whorf was a prolific American painter who achieved a successful career as a watercolorist despite the difficulties of the Great Depression. Known primarily for his depictions of Provincetown and Boston, he was greatly influenced by his early introduction to French Impressionism, as well as by the artists John Singer Sargent and Frederick Judd Waugh.
Born and raised in Winthrop, Massachusetts, Whorf began his artistic education with informal studies with his father, Harry C. Whorf, a graphic designer. Harry and Sarah (Sadie), John’s mother,
