Edward Chalmers Leavitt  (1842-1904)
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Biography/Artist Information:

Edward Leavitt was one of the leading still life artists of nineteenth century New England.  He lived and worked in Providence, and studied with James Morgan Lewin, a leading painter of the Fall River School, which, in the late 19th Century, was one of the most important centers of still life painting.

While Lewin branched out into other types of painting, Leavitt remained devoted to the art of the still life.  His paintings are sharply focused, realistic, and carefully finished. Ornate objects such as urns, ewers, platters, cut glassware and opulent fabrics are arranged with fruit and flowers on highly polished, reflective surfaces, creating dramatic decorative effects.