American Art Collaborative

Howard Russell Butler was born in New York City on March 3, 1856. He studied law at Princeton and Columbia Universities and practiced law in New York City until 1884 when he turned to art. He then studied art with Frederick Church, at the Art Students League in New York City, and in Paris. He was founder and first president of the American Fine Arts Society (1889-1906) and was elected to the National Academy in 1902. Butler lived in California in 1905-07 and 1921-26 as a resident of Pasadena and Santa Barbara. Returning to the East Coast, he died in Princeton, New Jersey on May 22, 1934. He is best known for his paintings of solar eclipses and seascapes; however he also painted portraits and landscapes. Exhibited: San Francisco Art Ass'n, 1914; Panama Pacific International Exposition, 1915 (silver medal). Works held: National Museum of American Art; Metropolitan Museum (Yankee Point, Monterey).