Ernest Clifford Peixotto (1869 - 1940)

One of five children in a prominent merchant family of San Francisco, Peixotto (pronounced "pay-SHOW-toh") studied art at the School of Fine Arts in the Mark Hopkins Institute in his hometown before repairing to France in 1888 for three more years of study. France remained his home until 1914, except for a two-year stint in New York working as a magazine illustrator. During his years in Europe he wrote and illustrated several travel books, but primarily painted the French countryside and its inhabitants.

Peixotto left France after war broke out, but returned as an official war artist in the spring of 1918. To a considerable degree, he concentrated on depicting French landscapes ravaged by war. After the Armistice he was head of the AEF’s Art Training Center in Paris, which offered educational opportunities for American soldiers remaining in Europe during the postwar occupation of Germany.

Peixotto returned to the United States in 1923 as director of the mural department at the Beaux Arts Institute of Design in New York. He focused on murals for the remainder of his career.

Ernest Clifford Peixotto

Search term: *:* Topic: Church buildings Clear All

The Church St. Aignant

Charcoal with ink wash sketch on paper. The sketch depicts a ruined church with rubble piled in front. The catalog card reads: "'St.
Description
Charcoal with ink wash sketch on paper. The sketch depicts a ruined church with rubble piled in front. The catalog card reads: "'St. Aignant is situated under the strong fortress of Liouville [sic] and formed the front line position of the French so that the town was practically wiped out."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-09-19
associated person
War Department
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25872
catalog number
25872
accession number
64592

Lucy-le-Bocage

Ink wash and pencil sketch on light green paper. The work depicts a damaged church in or near Lucy-le-Bocage, France during World War I. A large, mostly leafless tree is shown in front of the shell-torn gothic church.
Description
Ink wash and pencil sketch on light green paper. The work depicts a damaged church in or near Lucy-le-Bocage, France during World War I. A large, mostly leafless tree is shown in front of the shell-torn gothic church. Other small buildings appear on the edges of the sketch surrounding the rubble-filled foreground.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25843
catalog number
25843
accession number
64592

The Church, Cierges

Charcoal and ink wash sketch on paper. In the foreground are several ruined buildings, behind which stands the shell-torn church. There is a cross on top of the church tower which has been damaged.Currently not on view
Description
Charcoal and ink wash sketch on paper. In the foreground are several ruined buildings, behind which stands the shell-torn church. There is a cross on top of the church tower which has been damaged.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-08-10
associated person
War Department
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25869
catalog number
25869
accession number
64592

Ruined Torcy

Ink wash with charcoal on paper. The paper is affixed to a larger piece of beige cardboard. The drawing depicts a shell torn gothic church and the cemetery beside it. A tree stands behind the cemetery wall.
Description
Ink wash with charcoal on paper. The paper is affixed to a larger piece of beige cardboard. The drawing depicts a shell torn gothic church and the cemetery beside it. A tree stands behind the cemetery wall. The church and cemetery and bordered by a street that runs diagonally through the picture. More rubble is on the right of the street.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-07
associated person
War Department
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25857
catalog number
25857
accession number
64592

Ruined Church at Seringes

Ink wash sketch on paper. Shell-torn church in foreground. Houses behind the church. No artist signature.Seringes-et-Nesles is a small municipality in northern France.Currently not on view
Description
Ink wash sketch on paper. Shell-torn church in foreground. Houses behind the church. No artist signature.
Seringes-et-Nesles is a small municipality in northern France.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated person
War Department
maker
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25856
catalog number
25856
accession number
64592

Ruins in the Main Square Fere-En-Tardenois

Charcoal drawing on paper. The work depicts several damaged buildings in the main square of Fère-en-Tardenois, France during World War I. A church with a tall spire and a cross atop its peaked roof dominates the center of the work.
Description
Charcoal drawing on paper. The work depicts several damaged buildings in the main square of Fère-en-Tardenois, France during World War I. A church with a tall spire and a cross atop its peaked roof dominates the center of the work. A smaller, perhaps residential, building in the foreground is partially collapsed, with debris spilling out of the exposed second floor interior.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-08
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25859
catalog number
25859
accession number
64592

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