Nelson Holbrook White

Nelson H. White was born in New London, Connecticut in 1932. He received his earliest art instruction from his grandfather Henry Cooke White (1861 – 1952) and his father Nelson Cooke White (1900 – 1989), both important American artists. The family lived in Waterford, Connecticut and the elder White had been an early member of an art colony in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Known for his paintings of the Connecticut landscape and shoreline, Henry Cooke White became a teacher to his son, Nelson Cooke White. The younger White had been surrounded by art and artists from the time he was born. Living with his parents at the Florence Griswold house in Old Lyme, he met some of the most important and influential artists of the day; Childe Hassam, Will Howe Foote, and Harry Hoffman. Later, Nelson White’s father began to take his family to summer on Shelter Island and became friendly with many of the artists of the Peconic colony such as Irving Wiles, an important American impressionist.

After graduating from the Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts in 1951, Nelson Holbrook White began to study at Mitchell College in Connecticut but left to pursue studies in the violin, music theory, and composition. At this time, he began to spend more time studying art with his father and grandfather. By 1955, Nelson H. White had decided to devote himself to a career as a painter and traveled to Florence, Italy to become an apprentice to Pietro Annigoni, the world-renowned Florentine master. Within two years, the young White had won two awards for his work. While in Florence, he also studied with the great Italian teacher Nerina Simi. Today, White divides his time between the United States and Florence.

Although he has received instruction from some very important artists, White’s work is highly individual. He paints with great spirit. When one sees his work, one quickly senses he has a great love for nature and the outdoors. Through his eyes, we are able to view and interpret nature in an intimate manner. Whether Nelson H. White is painting the Connecticut shore, a beach in Italy or Nantucket, a pond on Shelter Island or the hills of Vermont, he allows the observer to view a soft, yet dramatic side of nature. His ability to use color, coupled with rich brushwork, and a graduation of light, air, and atmosphere allows one to enjoy a certain mood, which is clearly conveyed in White’s paintings. It is a mood that leaves us with a lasting impression.

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All images on this site copyright to the artist © 2007 The Brigham Galleries
This site is maintained by Robert Foster.