Julius Rolshoven (1858 - 1930)
Schools of Study
Ernst Plassman understudy, Cooper Union Academy, New York
Hugo Crola understudy, Academie of Dusseldorf, Germany
Hugo Crola understudy, Royal Academy of Munich, Germany
Academie Julian, France
Partial List of Collections
Detroit Institute of Arts
University of New Mexico
El Paso Museum
Selected Awards
Second Class Silver Medal, Paris Universal Exposition, 1889
Second Medal, Paris Exhibition, 1899
Honorable Mention for "My Great-grandmother's Finery", Exposition Universelle, 1900
Bronze Medal, Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, 1901
Silver Medal, St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Richard S. Greenberg Memorial Prize of the Newport, Rhode Island Art Association, 1924
Selected Exhibitions
The artist premiered at many exhibitions across Europe and Pan-America during his professional career.
Biography
The following text is courtesy of Medicine Man Gallery:
Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1858, the son of a German goldsmith, Julius Rolshoven's drawing ability was encouraged by his father to improve his engraving skills.
The artist was studying in Europe when WWI began and Julius promptly returned to the US. He married Harriette Blazo in 1914 and honeymooned in New Mexico. In 1916 they moved to Santa Fe.
Julius became an associate member of the Taos Society of Artists 1917 and an active member in 1918. Because he was absent from the historic photograph of the Society members, he is not as well known as the other founding members. But his artistic ability was known to be equal or better than the other members. In fact he had been invited to join the Taos group before Victor Higgins, Walter Ufer and Ernest Hennings.
Julius established a studio in Santa Fe at the Palace of the Governors and often painted portraits of the local pueblo Indians who came to the plaza. He painted with the traditional techniques he had learned in Europe, but often painted outdoors or under a white tent to shield his work from the harsh light. He was known for his skillful use of pastels and the bold brushwork of his oil painting.
For the next eleven years, the couple divided their time between Santa Fe and Florence, Italy. His Italian house was the former home of Mona Lisa who modeled for Leonardo da Vinci.
Rolshoven died in 1930 while on an ocean voyage back to the US to visit his mother for Christmas.
Compared with the other members of the Taos Society, Julius' work is now scarce and difficult to find.
Selected Works in Our Inventory
47.75 x 78", oil on canvas, 1910