Bouquet With Lilies

Six spotted lilies are surrounded by snapdragons, zinnias, and an incongruous “Radio” calendula. This latter flower, along with the lily stamens, appear to have been chosen for their delicate pointed shapes. Most of Alger’s still live is painted in cool grays and pinks, with splashes of hot yellows and orange.

About the Artist: The son of Irish immigrants, Alger was born in Boston, MA and studied at the Lowell Institute of Design and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Around 1914, he began dividing his time between Massachusetts and showing his work in New York group exhibitions; a 1921 review of the Whitney Studio Club declared that its “chief interest centers about the technical novelty of John Alger. He has painted some sand dunes with a sweeping grace despite the fact that his colors, always modest, are laid down flatly and without accent” (New York Tribune 18 Dec. 1921: 50). Another admiring critic thought Alger had “developed a point of view which represents the utmost in simplification without, however, becoming in any sense of the word an abstractionist” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle 7 Mar. 1926: 66). Alger was a founding member of the Salons of America. In later years, he seems to have taught art lessons in addition to his painting. 5 more images at FAP.

Alger, John [Herbert], 1879-1967

Oil painting

16 x 20 in.

Condition: surface dirt, cracked paint