Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977, American) was called the “queen of the bohemian artists”. Abercrombie was born in Austin, Texas to Christian Scientist parents who were opera singers. Raised in Chicago, she attended college at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also took courses in figure drawing at the Art Institute of Chicago and studied commercial art at the American Academy of Art also in Chicago. Abercrombie’s first job was drawing gloves for department store ads.
In the early 1930’s Abercrombie decided to concentrate on her art and began exhibiting at local fairs. In 1934, her work was exhibited by the Chicago Society of Artists.
Abercrombie married several times and became acquainted with the Chicago jazz scene through her marriages. Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Sarah Vaughn became her friends.
However, Abercrombie’s health declined in the 1950’s due to alcoholism, and arthritis which led to her becoming a recluse. Even so, the 50’s are considered her most prolific period. After 1959, Abercrombie stopped producing as many paintings as she had done in previous years, as she was essentially bedridden and had to use a wheelchair.
Abercrombie loved and had cats. Many of her paintings feature a lone woman, herself, with a hint of magic or sorcery depicted with the use of a symbolic owl or black cat. Her painting The Stroll captures this essence. Abercrombie in an interview with Studs Terkel stated, “It is always myself that I paint.” Abercrombie said that she was not interested in complicated themes; she liked strange, uncommon, simple things.
In 1977, the year of Gertrude Abercrombie’s death, a retrospective of her work was held at the Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago.
The Stroll, 1943
Siamese Cat, 1956
Black Cat with White Ball, 1957
Black Cat, Cloud and Ball, 1957
Black Street Cat
Bohemian Queen(Abercrombie) and her Cat, 1953
Cat with Blue Ball, 1956
Cat with Portrait of Abraham Lincoln
Cat, Moon and Ball, 1956
Doors and Black Cat
Head on a Plate with Black Cat
Interior with White Cat
Three Cats with Bowls of Milk
Three Cats with Clouds Overhead
Two Cats
White Cat with Crescent Moon
White Cat, ca. 1935-1938
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