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| (1903-1968) |
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Medium/Discipline: Painting
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland
Place of Death: Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland Affiliation: Born here, Depicts Maryland subjects, Active while in residence
Prominent Theme: Portraits; Flowers
Gender: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Biography: Isabella Hunner Parsons was a highly educated woman and an important member of the Baltimore art community. Born in 1903 in Baltimore, Parsons' mentor became Dr. Hans Froelicher, Professor of the History of Art at Goucher College. She took all possible art training at the Bryn Mawr School and graduated from The Park School, both preparatory schools in Baltimore, and took courses at Goucher College (Baltimore, Maryland) and Wellesley College (Massachusetts). Later, at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Parsons studied with several prominent artists including Henry Roben, Charles Walther, and Jacques Maroger (1884-1962). Parsons was interested in commercial art, and against the advice of Froehlicher, she took a commercial art course while at Wellesley. She supplemented this study with a course in poster art and lettering at the Kunstgewerbeschule of Munich and used her training to establish a free-lance career in New York City. After she gave up commercial art, Parsons returned to Baltimore in 1930 where she focused exclusively on portraits, mostly of children and doctors.
In 1934 she married Dr. John W. Parsons, a general internist, allergist and assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. Many of her portrait sitters were colleagues of her husband. These important doctors and educators include Parsons' father, Dr. Guy L. Hunner, a noted surgeon, urologist, gynecologist, member of first class of Johns Hopkins Medical School, Dr. Alfred Blalock, a leading surgeon, Dr. Charles W. Wainwright, associate professor of medicine at JHU, Reverend Harry Lee Doll, the Episcopal Bishop of Maryland, Charles S. Garland, former chairman of the board of trustees of Johns Hopkins University, and Milton S. Eisenhower, former president of Johns Hopkins University.
In addition to her work as a portraitist, Parsons enjoyed depicting flowers and was dedicated to continuing her education. She traveled often to Europe to sketch and study with contemporary artists. Parsons worked closely with the International School of Art, a society formed for the intimate study of peasant arts under famous native teachers in Poland and Czechoslovakia, and under Frank Cizek in Vienna.
Parson's works were exhibited in Washington and Baltimore and are displayed today in the Johns Hopkins Hospital and University, the Church of the Redeemer and other institutions, businesses and private residences.
Education/Training: Graduated from Park School and spent a year each at Wellesley and Goucher Colleges; studied for three years at MICA; studied art in New York and Munich
Taught By: At MICA: Jacques Maroger in 1941 (Old Masters medium), under Henry Roben in portrait-painting and under Charles Walther in landscape, still life, figure composition
Selected References: Obituary, "Mrs. Parson, Painter, Dies,"Baltimore Sun and Evening Sun (Baltimore: Baltimore Sun), May 29, 1968.
The J. Hall Pleasants Files at the Maryland Historical Society.
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