Rye Field on Lawrence Plain
Image ID: ART045
An oil painting of stacks of harvested rye in field (Lawrence Plain) with mountain range in background.
oil painting l.r. signed B B, probably painted between 1895 and 1899
Bessie Bell Hawkes
Born Bessie Bell in 1869 in Hadley to tobacco dealer Samuel Bell and Sarah Wilder Bell, the young artist studied first at Mt. Holyoke Seminary (forerunner to Mt. Holyoke College) and, for a time, at Pratt Institute in New York. Returning to Western Massachusetts, she became engaged in 1859 to well-known poet and story-teller Clarence Hawkes (1869-1954) who was blind and an amputee as a result of two separate childhood accidents. During their five year courtship, the two toured the countryside around the Connecticut Valley where she sketched and he wrote poetry. (The Forbes painting probably dates from those years, 1895-1899.) During that period, she also illustrated several of his books, including Idylls of Old New England. She received many awards for her art.
After their marriage in 1899, there is not much known about Bessie's artistic undertakings. She did, however, continue to serve as her husband's "eyes," while raising their young family - and even on into their later years. Clarence was always a prolific writer, and the Hawkes papers are a treasured collection of Forbes Library. The 1947 Annual Report tells of a gift by Mr. Hawkes of a "painting by Mrs. Hawkes," presumably "Rye Field." Bessie died in 1958, in her 89th year, four years after the death of her husband.
The Library also owns an oil painting, "Hadley's Broad St.," by the same artist (oil, 14 1/2" x 19 1/2", signed, l.l. B B. undated).
oil painting l.r. signed B B, probably painted between 1895 and 1899
Bessie Bell Hawkes
Born Bessie Bell in 1869 in Hadley to tobacco dealer Samuel Bell and Sarah Wilder Bell, the young artist studied first at Mt. Holyoke Seminary (forerunner to Mt. Holyoke College) and, for a time, at Pratt Institute in New York. Returning to Western Massachusetts, she became engaged in 1859 to well-known poet and story-teller Clarence Hawkes (1869-1954) who was blind and an amputee as a result of two separate childhood accidents. During their five year courtship, the two toured the countryside around the Connecticut Valley where she sketched and he wrote poetry. (The Forbes painting probably dates from those years, 1895-1899.) During that period, she also illustrated several of his books, including Idylls of Old New England. She received many awards for her art.
After their marriage in 1899, there is not much known about Bessie's artistic undertakings. She did, however, continue to serve as her husband's "eyes," while raising their young family - and even on into their later years. Clarence was always a prolific writer, and the Hawkes papers are a treasured collection of Forbes Library. The 1947 Annual Report tells of a gift by Mr. Hawkes of a "painting by Mrs. Hawkes," presumably "Rye Field." Bessie died in 1958, in her 89th year, four years after the death of her husband.
The Library also owns an oil painting, "Hadley's Broad St.," by the same artist (oil, 14 1/2" x 19 1/2", signed, l.l. B B. undated).
Image Details
| Dublin Core | |
|---|---|
| Title |
Rye Field on Lawrence Plain
|
| Subject |
Bessie Bell Hawkes
Oil paintings
Rye fields
|
| Description |
An oil painting of stacks of harvested rye in field (Lawrence Plain) with mountain range in background.
oil painting l.r. signed B B, probably painted between 1895 and 1899 Bessie Bell Hawkes Born Bessie Bell in 1869 in Hadley to tobacco dealer Samuel Bell and Sarah Wilder Bell, the young artist studied first at Mt. Holyoke Seminary (forerunner to Mt. Holyoke College) and, for a time, at Pratt Institute in New York. Returning to Western Massachusetts, she became engaged in 1859 to well-known poet and story-teller Clarence Hawkes (1869-1954) who was blind and an amputee as a result of two separate childhood accidents. During their five year courtship, the two toured the countryside around the Connecticut Valley where she sketched and he wrote poetry. (The Forbes painting probably dates from those years, 1895-1899.) During that period, she also illustrated several of his books, including Idylls of Old New England. She received many awards for her art. After their marriage in 1899, there is not much known about Bessie's artistic undertakings. She did, however, continue to serve as her husband's "eyes," while raising their young family - and even on into their later years. Clarence was always a prolific writer, and the Hawkes papers are a treasured collection of Forbes Library. The 1947 Annual Report tells of a gift by Mr. Hawkes of a "painting by Mrs. Hawkes," presumably "Rye Field." Bessie died in 1958, in her 89th year, four years after the death of her husband. The Library also owns an oil painting, "Hadley's Broad St.," by the same artist (oil, 14 1/2" x 19 1/2", signed, l.l. B B. undated). |
| Creator |
Bessie Bell Hawkes
|
| Date |
l.r. signed B B, probably painted between 1895 and 1899
|
| Format |
Oil
|
| Identifier |
ART045
|
| Coverage |
Gallery
|
| Still Image Item Type Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Physical Dimensions |
Frame size:19" x 31" x 2.75"
12" x 24"
|
Citation
Bessie Bell Hawkes, “Rye Field on Lawrence Plain,” Forbes Library Images from the Archives (Legacy site: Pre-2022), accessed November 16, 2024, https://images.forbeslibrary.org/items/show/787.