“Quilting Frolic” is a genre scene painting by John Lewis Krimmel. Photo provided by Darla McCammon.

By Darla McCammon
and DeeAnna Muraski
Guest Columnists

WARSAW — John Lewis Krimmel was America’s first painter of genre scenes. What are genres you may ask? A genre is simply a way of placing things into categories. This makes it much easier to search and find items similarly identified with others of like characteristics.

Krimmel immigrated from Germany to Philadelphia in 1809. However, he had planned to join his older brother in a business venture. He soon parlayed his scant few lessons in watercolor and found his love of art outweighed brotherly affection. Within three years and with no formal training, he began advertising himself in Philadelphia as a painter who could provide portraits of his clients.

Krimmel changed his German name to John Lewis and began painting portraits. At this time, it became obvious that he had quite a lot of natural talent because his business thrived. He also began painting both humorous paintings as well as historical works. Philadelphia grew along with Krimmel to be known as the cultural as well as the intellectual center of the United States.

Krimmel joined the first group called a “Sketch Club” in America. He became friends with members Sully and Rembrandt Peale. Krimmel created a painting called “Pepper-Pot: A Scene in the Philadelphia Market, 1811.” This oil painting created quite a stir in the public. It depicted a variety of backgrounds including a black woman providing hot-ladled bowls of her spicy Philadelphia soup to white customers of a variety of ages, sizes and social classes. This genre scene depicted everyday life in Philadelphia and spawned a number of everyday life contemporary canvas paintings by Krimmel. Some of his well-known paintings included “Blind Man’s Buff,” “Quilting Frolic” (photo provided), “Country Wedding” and “Morning in Front of Arch Street Meeting House.” Today you can find many of his works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His sketchbooks contained more than 700 sketches and watercolors. From sketch to finished watercolor these are highly prized works of art.

Events

It is not too late to purchase your tickets for the upcoming Author Dinner hosted by the nonprofit Operation Read USA. Celebrity Wendi Lou Lee is from California and will share her experiences as an author of two books, actress, speaker and more. A silent auction and meal will round out the evening, which will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, in the Shrine Building at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds, Warsaw.

Operation Read is a literacy organization that helps improve reading scores for all ages, especially those in poverty and need. That help includes tutoring, free books special programs and much more. You can pay your general admission payment at the door ($64.99 includes meal, auction opportunities, speaker and book signing). You also may make a donation payment to help provide programs. Mail to: P.O. Box 796, Warsaw IN 46581.

Darla McCammon is an artist, columnist and author, and DeeAnna Muraski is executive director of Operation Read USA Inc. For information, call (574) 527-4044 or send an email to [email protected].