May Wilson Preston
| May Wilson Preston | |
|---|---|
Abastenia St. Leger Eberle, May Wilson Preston, by 1910
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| Born |
May Wilson August 11, 1873 New York, New York |
| Died | May 18, 1949 (aged 75) East Hampton, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Art Students League of New York, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, William Merritt Chase |
| Known for | Illustrations |
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Mary (May) Wilson Watkins Preston (1873 – 1949) was an American illustrator of books and magazines and an impressionist painter. She had an interest in art beginning in her teenage years, but her parents sent her to Oberlin College hoping that she would develop another interest. After three years, and at the urging of one of her teachers, Preston's parents allowed her to return to New York and attend the Art Students League. She then studied in Paris with James Whistler and next at the New York School of Art with William Merritt Chase.
Following the death of her first husband, Thomas Henry Watkins, Preston embarked on a career as an illustrator to support herself. She socialized and exhibited with artists of the Ashcan School and married one of the group, James Moore Preston, in 1903. They traveled to Europe together, summered on Long Island, and co-illustrated a magazine story. She became a successful illustrator for magazines, like Harper's Bazaar and The Saturday Evening Post, and was a successful book illustrator. Considered one of the top women illustrators between 1900 and 1940, Preston was for years the only female member and exhibitor of the Society of Illustrators. She exhibited at the 1913 Armory Show and won a medal at the Panama–Pacific Exposition in 1915. Preston was one of the major suffrage artists. Her works are in a number of museum collections. She played herself in the film Our Mutual Girl that was shown in theaters in 1915.
Mary Wilson was born on August 28, 1873 in New York City. She was the only child, of Ann Taylor Wilson and John J. Wilson. Preston was one of the founders of the country's oldest women's fine arts organization, the Women's Art Club, at the age of 16.
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