One of the most acclaimed expatriate painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he was pivotal in the establishment of the art colony at Egmond, Holland, keeping studios both there and in Paris. In 1889 and 1900, he won silver medals at the Paris Expos and other prizes including the San Francisco Exposition of 1915.

The following information was submitted in September of 2006 by Jona Vieta:

According to the S. Grant Archives of American Art Journal 1992, he won the Hors concours for his "Un Dimanche" a gold medal, ten years before Winslow Homer won for his "Nuit d'Ete". He served on the committee to select paintings for the Chicago World's Fair and for the Paris Exposition. (See letters at Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C. Also cited in Archives of American Art vol 28 no 3 1988).

He participated in the decoration of the Library of Congress where his paintings can be seen outside the congressional reading rooms. He also painted on the Hudson as well as Germany, Holland, and France.

Walter MacEwen was born in Chicago February 13,1860 and died in New York on March 20,1943. He lived in Europe for many years and was one of the founding members of the Artist Colony at Edmond, Holland with George Hitchcock and Geri Melchers. MacEwen studied in Munich at the Royal Academy under Frank Duveneck, in Paris with Fernand Cormon and at the Academy Julian with Tony Robrt-Fleury.

In Europe, MacEwen was a member of the Society of American Painters; Order of St. Michael, Bavaria; and the Order of Leopold II, Belgium (1909). In 1896, he was awarded Chevalier of Honor and became an Officer in 1908. In the United States, MacEwen was an Associate Member of the National Academy (1903), a member of the Century Club, the National Institute of Arts and Letters, and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

MacEwen exhibited at the Paris Salon, 1896; Paris Expo of 1889 (med) and 1900 (med). He exhibited in Berlin, 1891(gold); Colombian Expo, Chicago, 1890(med); Antwerp, 1894(med); Munich, 1897(med); 1901 (med); Vienna, 1902 med); Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, 1902 (prize); Art Institute of Chicago, 1902 (prize); St. Louis Expo, 1894 med); Liège, 1905(med); Pan Pacific Expo, San Francisco 1915; National Academy of Design, N.Y. 1919 (prize).

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Luxembourg Museum,
ParisMuseé Budapest
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Museé Ghent
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Los Angeles County Museum
Indianapolis Art Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Art Institute of Chicago
Museé de Magdebourg, Prussia
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art
Richmond Art Museum, VA
Telfair Museum, Savannah, GA
Honolulu Museum
Museé Liege, Belgium