“Henry Singlewood Bisbing was born in 1849 to a Philadelphia family descended from early Prussian colonists. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under noted engraver John Sartain. At Sartain’s urging, Bisbing took up drawing on wood to be engraved for illustrations. In 1872, he moved to New York City, where he worked as an illustrator for Appleton’s Art Journal and The Aldine Press, among other publications.” (1)
“He began his career as a wood engraver and then became a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.” (2)
“He studied initially with Barth and Loefftz in Munich.” (1)
“In 1876, he studied in Munich, Germany at the Academy and in 1879 in Brussels as a student of the famous animal painter, JHL de Haas, who later said that Bisbing was among the most famous of animal painters.” (2)
“De Haas, more than any other artist, exerted the dominant influence on Bisbing’s career, although Bisbing did further work with Parisian figure-painter Felix du Vuillefroy.” (1)
“ He exhibited in the Academy annuals from 1880 to 1905. His large painting, In the Meadow, in the Academy collection, was exhibited in the 61st Annual Exhibition of 1891.” (3)
“Although Bisbing continued to dabble in engraving (he served on the international jury of engraving awards at the 1889 Paris exposition), he spent the remainder of the century developing his abilities as a chronicler of rural life. Most of his subject matter was found in and around Etaples, France and Zwolle, Holland, where Bisbing spent many of his summers. His work during this period is characterized by a pastoral, serene realism, as evidenced in Afternoon In The Meadow (date and location unknown), his entry at the World Columbian Exposition in 1893. The painting won the silver medal, one of many awards Bisbing received in the 1890s.” (1)
“He finally settled in Paris and painted rural scenes of France and Holland.” (2)
“Eventually, Bisbing returned to the United States, settling in Ledyard, Connecticut. He died in 1933, without ever achieving in this country the esteem he enjoyed in Europe.” (1)
Reference
1. Zellman, MD. 300 Years of American Art. New Jersey: The Wellfleet Press; 1987.
2. Askart Staff. Henry Bisbing [internet]. [cited 2020 Jan 2]. Available from: https://www.askart.com/artist_bio/Henry_Singlewood_Bisbing/22066/Henry_Singlewood_Bisbing.aspx
3. Tran, H. Henry Bisbing Correspondence [internet]. Philadelphia, PA: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts [updated 2015 Dec; cited 2020 Jan 2]. Available from: https://www.pafa.org/sites/default/files/media-assets/MS.005_HenryBisbing.pdf