Oscar Brousse Jacobson (May 16, 1882 – September 15, 1966) was a Swedish-born American painter and museum curator. From 1915 to 1945, he was the director of the University of Oklahoma's School of Art, later known as the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. He curated exhibitions and wrote books about Native American art.
Oscar Brousse Jacobson | |
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| Born | May 16, 1882 Kalmar County, Sweden |
| Died | September 15, 1966 Norman, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Resting place | Norman, Oklahoma |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Bethany College Yale University |
| Occupation(s) | Painter, museum curator |
| Employer | University of Oklahoma |
| Known for | landscape painting, promoting American Indian modern art |
| Spouse | Sophie Brousse (Jeanne d'Ucel) |
| Children | 1 son, 2 daughters |
Early life
editAnders Oskar Jacobsson was born on May 16, 1882, on Västra Eknö, an island off the coast of Kalmar County, Småland, Sweden.[1][2] His mother was Anna Lena Olofsdotter, and his father was Nils Petter Jacobsson.[1] With his parents and siblings, he emigrated to the United States in 1890 and settled in Kansas.[3][4]
In 1908, Jacobson graduated from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.[5] He earned a master's degree at Yale University and returned to Bethany College, where he earned a doctoral degree.[2]
Career
editJacobson directed University of Oklahoma's School of Art from 1915 to 1945.[5] He became curator of the University of Oklahoma Museum of Art (now the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art) in 1936.[6] With Professor Edith Mahier, he supported Native American artists known as the Kiowa Six.[4] Jacobson was an important figure in the development of Southern Plains, Oklahoma, or Kiowa Flatstyle painting.[7] His notable students included Kiowa Six artists (Stephen Mopope, Lois Smoky Kaulaity, Jack Hokeah, Monroe Tsatoke, Spencer Asah, James Auchiah) as well as Acee Blue Eagle, Woody Crumbo, and William Standing.[7][8] Jacobson retired as a research professor emeritus of art in 1952.[5]
A nationally known landscape painter and portraiturist, Jacobson completed more than 500 paintings during the course of his career.[5] Most of these sold to private collectors.[9] His artworks were also acquired by the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and the Woolaroc Museum.[2]
Jacobson founded Association of Oklahoma Artists.[5] The Oklahoma Hall of Fame inducted him in 1949.[4]
Personal life
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Jacobson married Sophie Brousse, a French-born art historian, whose pen name was Jeanne d'Ucel. They had a son and two daughters.[2] They resided at the Oscar B. Jacobson House in Norman, Oklahoma, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Death and legacy
editIn 1952, Jacobson Hall on the University of Oklahoma campus was named in his honor.[5]
Jacobson died on September 15, 1966, in Norman. His funeral was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Norman.[5]
The University of Oklahoma's art museum was renamed the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in 1992.[6] Jacobson's work was featured at "The Art of Oklahoma" exhibition at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in 2017.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b Fur, Painting Culture, Painting Nature, 37.
- ^ a b c d "Jacobson, Oscar Brousse (1882-1966)". Oklahoma Historical Society.
- ^ Fur, Painting Culture, Painting Nature, 47.
- ^ a b c "Jacobson, Oscar Brousse". Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g Broady, Joe (September 20, 1966). "OU Art Educator Oscar Jacobson, 84, Dies at Norman". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. p. 40. Retrieved December 15, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Museum History". Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. University of Oklahoma. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ a b "Chickasaw Family Making Pah Sho Fah (Pashofa) | National Postal Museum". Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- ^ "Standing, William (1904-1951)". Montana Historical Society Museum Collections Online. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ "OU art museum seeks works by Oscar Jacobson". The Daily Oklahoman. January 16, 2013. p. 11. Retrieved December 15, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ McDonnell, Brandy (November 13, 2017). "'The Art of Oklahoma'. Museum marks 110th anniversary of statehood with new exhibit". The Daily Oklahoman. pp. 19–20. Retrieved December 15, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
Sources
edit- Fur, Gunlög (2019). Painting Culture, Painting Nature: Stephen Mopope, Oscar Jaconson, and the Development of Indian Art in Oklahoma. Norman: University of Oklahoma. ISBN 9780806163468.