Blondelle Malone papers

Blondelle Malone (1877-1951) fancied herself the “garden artist of America,” a mantle bestowed upon her by a New York critic and friend in the 1920s. Blondelle spent the first half of her life living an idealized artist's life. Financially supported by her parents, she traveled around Europe painting the gardens of dignitaries, royalty, and wealthy aristocrats. She lived in finely appointed apartments in Paris, London, and Dublin, yet considered herself a misunderstood artist - probably because she was never able to sell many of her paintings. While she may not have achieved the fame she hoped for, Blondelle did lead a rather privileged life - especially for an unmarried woman of the early twentieth century. She traveled relatively freely all over the world. In her formative years, she often had chaperones; in her later years, she traveled with companions, but she also rented property and lived alone in California, Paris, London, and Washington, D.C. She met and socialized with some of the pre-eminent artists of her day. Her letters, journals, articles, and artwork tell the fascinating story of an only child and artist who lived a charmed and privileged life.

Blondelle Octavia Edwards Malone was born on November 16, 1877, in Bostwick, Georgia, to Miles Alexander and Sarah Glenn (Jones) Malone. The family lived briefly in Augusta, Georgia, but soon moved to Columbia, South Carolina, where Blondelle grew up. Miles, a distributor of pianos throughout the Southeast and owner of Malone's Music House in Columbia, was sufficiently well off that he was able to provide his daughter with the support to lead an independent and free-spirited life as an artist. At age fifteen, Blondelle entered Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, as a special student. For the next four years, she studied French, music, and art. At Converse, she made the decision to focus on pursuing a career as an artist after completing her education. With the support and financial backing of her parents, Blondelle moved to New York in 1897 to study at the New York School of Applied Design for Women. The school proved to be too confining for Blondelle, and she soon transferred to the New York School of Art where she fell under the tutelage of American artists John H. Twachtman, William Merritt Chase, and Robert Blum.

Returning to Columbia in July 1898, Blondelle set up a studio in her family home at 1517 Gervais Street, but within a year she grew restless. Once again, she convinced her parents to let her return to New York to further her studies. This time, Blondelle studied under Twachtman at the Art Students' League. The next summer she spent time in an artists' colony run by Twachtman at Cos Cob, Connecticut. She became a friend to the artist and his wife. Her first artistic success came around the same time with the acceptance of eight book cover designs for exhibition by the Architectural League in New York. In 1900 Charles Scribners' Sons Publishers purchased two of her designs.

Blondelle believed that Columbia was too limiting a place for her; the following summer of 1901, she left for the West Coast. She traveled throughout California for a year before she announced to her parents that she intended to study and paint abroad. In 1903 Blondelle left for Japan in the company of the Rothrocks - Mrs. Rothrock, a fellow aspiring artist and her husband, a federal judge. She stayed in Japan for around a year and then persuaded her parents that her return trip should take her through Europe. Blondelle arrived in Venice in May 1904. She began to meet other artists including Walter Sickert and Henry Simpson, two English painters who became lifelong friends and correspondents. Blondelle delayed her return to the United States indefinitely - much to her parents' dismay.

In Europe between 1904 and 1915 (she returned home only once during these years), Blondelle lived a life of great freedom. She spent her time painting gardens in France, England, Italy, Holland, and Ireland. She led the life of a socialite. She met and was entertained not only by key figures in the art world, but also ingratiate herself with dignitaries, royalty, and aristocrats. In her first year in Europe, she visited Claude Monet and received his critique of her work and later returned to paint in his garden. At various times she stayed with Madame Camille Pissarro (the widow of her idol, Camille Jacob Pissarro) and Geraldine Millet (the daughter-in-law of Jean-Francois Millet). She was a frequent guest and correspondent of Jacques Blanche, the French portraitist. She called on the sculptor Auguste Rodin more than once.

In 1905, Blondelle moved to Paris and joined the Society of Independent Artists where she exhibited eight paintings and reported one sale during that year. At the same time, her parents sent her work to exhibitions in the United States. During that year the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts also accepted her work. After traveling throughout Holland and England, Blondelle returned to the United States on Christmas Day in 1905. Trying to settle back into life in Columbia, she painted in her studio at Gervais Street and traveled to Charleston where she painted the flower gardens of Magnolia on the Ashley River, the sandy dunes of Sullivan's Island, and various gardens around the city.

The following year, Blondelle returned to Europe. Traveling briefly throughout Italy and Germany, she again chose France to remain in for a longer period of time -- this time at Eragny, where she lived with the widow of Pissarro. Winter saw her in Paris where she made the acquaintance of Rodin and exhibited “The Garden of Camille Pissarro” at the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts. A gallery on the Rue De Faubourg St. Honoré also accepted some of her works. In 1911 she exhibited at the Salon d'Automne and in 1913 at the Société Nationale once again. That same year she had a one-person exhibition at the Lyceum Club in Paris. It was around this time that she fully developed her specialty of garden paintings, and traveled from one acquaintance to another to record their gardens. This specialty took her to England where she painted various society gardens and was invited to join the New English Art Club and to show at the Autumn Salon and the Lyceum Club. In 1912 she traveled throughout Italy painting gardens and eventually returned to Paris where she exhibited with the Societe Internationale d'Aqaurellistes and the American Art Students Club. She also spent that Christmas in Barbizon with the son and daughter-in-law of Jean François Millet.

William Nash commissioned Blondelle to paint several works of art in Ireland. She traveled there in 1914 and 1915 and, for a time, lost touch with her family. Her parents received no word from her; therefore, Mr. Malone contacted various government officials before he finally located her. Blondelle returned to the United States in December 1915 when she learned of her mother's death. She spent a relatively short and unhappy stay in Columbia. She purchased a house and studio in Aiken, but felt too limited even there. In 1920 she moved to New York where she rented a studio at Carnegie Hall and held exhibitions of her work at the Women's University Club, the Misses Hill Studio, the Babcock Gallery and art galleries in Utica, Elmira and Binghamton.

In the United States, over the course of her life, Blondelle's work was shown at the Pennsylvania Academy; at the Babcock and The Misses Hill Galleries in New York City; in galleries in Elmira, Utica, and Binghamton, New York; in Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia; in Denver, Colorado; in San Francisco, California; and in Columbia, South Carolina. Her pictures ranged in subject matter from flowers in her parents' garden to roses at Bagatelle in Paris, and the gardens of historic estates in England and Ireland. She was clearly influenced by the Impressionists - both American and European.

Blondelle's father died in 1930 as the result of injuries he sustained when an automobile hit him. Soon after her father's death, Blondelle purchased property in Alexandria, Virginia, and became involved in historic preservation activities. She restored the home of Dr. James Craik, the surgeon general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and the physician to George Washington. She also purchased a second home in the same neighborhood; after she restored it, she maintained it as her studio for several years. In addition to her interests in historic preservation, Blondelle continued to paint for several more years. While living in the Washington, D.C., area she became enamored with the flowering cherry trees and many of her later pieces reflect this. Unfortunately, the impact of an automobile accident and old age curtailed Blondelle's artistic career in the 1940s.

In the last few years of her life, Blondelle's health declined to the point where she could no longer look after herself. Initially she moved into a hotel in Alexandria but eventually she needed more care so she returned to Columbia. Blondelle died on June 25th in a Columbia nursing home. In the months before her death, though, she agreed to donate her papers to the Caroliniana Library and her remaining artwork to the Columbia Museum of Art. Ironically, her legacy remains in the very place she always tried so desperately to leave.

1877: Blondelle Octavia Edwards Malone was born to Miles Alexander and Sarah Glenn (Jones) Malone on November 16th near Bostwick, Georgia. The family lived in Augusta, Georgia, until around 1883 when they moved to Columbia, South Carolina. The Malones lived at 1517 Gervais Street.

1892-96: At age fifteen, Blondelle entered Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, as a special student.

1897: Studied briefly at the New York School of Applied Design for Women. Transferred to the New York School of Art.

1898: Blondelle returned to Columbia and was presented by the South Carolina Club at the State Ball on November 17th.

1899-1900: Returned to New York to continue her art studies at the Art Students' League.

1900: Exhibited book cover designs at the Architectural League in New York. Contacted by Harper & Brothers Publishers and Charles Scribners' Sons Publishers; both companies expressed an interest in seeing more of her work. In March, Blondelle received a check for $25 from Charles Scribners' Sons Publishers for two designs.

1901-02: Left from Columbia for California. Spent time painting in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, and Pacific Grove.

1903: Set sail for Yokohama, Japan, from Portland, Oregon, on January 26th. Arrived in Yokohama in early March. Painted for a year in Japan.

1904: In February, left Japan for Paris. Traveled through Hong Kong, Singapore, India, and Europe. While in Venice, met English painters Walter Richard Sickert and Henry Simpson, who became Blondelle's life-long friends.

1904: Made the acquaintance of the widow of Impressionist artist Camille Pissarro and the French portrait artist, Jacques Blanche. In Giverny, France, Blondelle met Claude Monet. Painted his garden in December.

1905: Returned to Columbia, South Carolina, in December.

1906: Sailed from Charleston to New York in June. Went with Mrs. Swinburne (a fellow student from the Art Students' League) to Newport, Rhode Island, where they summered and painted.

1909-10: Returned to Europe. Traveled throughout Europe before arriving in France. In France, Blondelle received a letter of introduction to Auguste Rodin from Jacques Blanche. She visited Rodin on several occasions. Arrived in Eragny, France, in October 1910. Reestablished contact with Madame Camille Pissarro and stayed with her until December. In December, Blondelle relocated to Paris.

1911: Exhibited oil paintings and watercolors at Salon d'Automne I and at the 21st Exhibition of the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris. Her critically acclaimed painting of Pissarro's garden was displayed at the latter. Accepted into the Lyceum Club of France in February. From November to December, Blondelle exhibited with the New English Art Club at the Galleries of the Royal Society of British Artists. She also exhibited with the Society of American Women in London at the invitation of Mildred Hoover (daughter-in-law of Herbert Hoover).

1912: Blondelle spent a great deal of time painting gardens in England. From there, she traveled to Italy and Greece before she returned to France.

1913: Exhibited her works at the Lyceum Club and at the Salon de la Societe Internationale d'Aquarellistes (both in Paris). Accepted into the London Lyceum Club. Spent Christmas at Barbizon, France, at the home of Monsieur and Madame J. Francois Millet (the son and daughter-in-law of the French artist of the same name).

1914: In January Blondelle exhibited at the American Art Students' Club in Paris. In February, she exhibited at the Galerie Bontet de Monvel. William Nash, founder of the Corn Exchange Bank in New York, met with Blondelle in Paris. He purchased ten paintings and commissioned her to paint several more in Ireland.

1915: Blondelle's parents fell ill and traveled to a Chicago health facility to seek treatment. Mrs. Malone died on November 30th, and Blondelle returned from Ireland to Columbia, South Carolina. She would not return to Europe again.

Ca 1916: Blondelle purchased a home and set up a studio in Aiken, South Carolina.

Ca 1920-24: Moved to New York. Rented a studio in Carnegie Hall. Exhibited at the Women's University Club, Misses Hill Studio, Babcock Gallery, and in various smaller galleries throughout the state. Met art critics Mary Taft of the New York Times and Lula Merrick of the New York Post - both women became devoted sponsors and admirers of Blondelle. Taft dubbed Blondelle “the Garden Artist of America.”

1925: Blondelle hosted an exhibit of her Japanese paintings. She used the proceeds to purchase a radio for St. Luke's Hospital in Tokyo.

Ca 1926: Moved to Washington, DC. Sold the Gervais Street property. Rented a studio at the Wardman Park Hotel.

1930: Her father died as a result of injuries sustained when an automobile hit him as he crossed the street in Columbia on September 21st. Soon after her father's death, Blondelle moved to Alexandria, Virginia, and became involved in historic preservation activities. She maintained a studio address in the capital city at 1520 Wisconsin Avenue.

1933: Blondelle purchased and restored the Alexandria, Virginia, home of Dr. James Craik, surgeon general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and physician to George Washington.

Ca 1938: Blondelle purchased the Wayles House in Alexandria, Virginia. After restoring it, she used it as her studio.

1947: Moved to the George Mason Hotel in Alexandria. At seventy years old, she was a semi-invalid.

1951: Died on June 25th in a Columbia, South Carolina, nursing home. In her will, she left her papers to the South Caroliniana Library on the stipulation that her biography be written. In 1953, Louise Jones DuBose, former director of the University of South Carolina Press, wrote Enigma. Blondelle donated most of her artwork to the Columbia Museum of Art.