William Staples Drown was noted for painting landscape and marine paintings in watercolor and oil. He studied under Appleton Brown in Boston. He regularly spent summers in Europe, particularly England and France. He also traveled to Ireland, Venice, and Florence. He traveled to St. Augustine Florida where he was active with members of the Ponce De Leon Art Colony. He was a member of the Providence Art Club and the Providence Watercolor Club.
His works are located at:
Brown University:

ACCESS RESTRICTED. APPOINTMENT REQUIRED
1.Oil painting on board [untitled]--streetscape, Clovelly, England (Edwin A Burlingame Bequest) (1897) (acc.# HP 01507)
2. Oil painting [untitled]--streetscape with two thatched/stuccoed cottages (Edwin A. Burlingame Bequest) (acc.# HP 01508)

Brown University--Gardner House:
ACCESS RESTRICTED. APPOINTMENT REQUIRED
1. Watercolor/gouache [untitled]--Gothic archway over street (acc.# HP 00951)
2. Oil painting on board [untitled]--cottage with flowers (acc.# HP 00861)

Providence Art Club:
ACCESS RESTRICTED. APPOINTMENT REQUIRED
1. Oil painting, "English Village Scene"
2. Oil painting, ""Lane with houses"
3. Oil painting, "Moonlight"
4. Watercolor, "Marine"
5. Oil painting, "Twilight"
6. Oil painting, "Marine"
7. Watercolor, "The Cottage"
8. Oil painting, "Landscape with Pond"
9. Watercolor, "Landscape"
10. Oil painting, "Forest Scene"
11. Oil painting, "Landscape"

Source:
Unveiled: a directory and guide to 19th century born artists active in Rhode Island, and where to find their work in publicly accessible Rhode Island collections by Elinor L. Nacheman

William Staples Drown
1856-1915

William Staples Drown was born in Dorchester, MA in 1856 and died on September 24, 1915. He lived and worked in Providence, RI and studied with John Appleton Brown in Boston, MA. Primarily a marine and landscape painter, Drown is especially recognized for his scenes of streets, farms, orchards, lakes, coasts, and country cottages.

Drown was a member of the Providence Art Club and the Providence Watercolor Club. He exhibited with the Boston Art Club in 1880 and 1881.

Drown's work is in the Whistler House Museum of Art in Lowell, MA and the Essex Peabody Museum in Salem, MA.

References:
Who Was Who in American Art, Vol. I page 173;
Davenport's Art Reference 2001/2002, page 568;
Whistler House Museum of Art files.

This biography was submitted by Whistler House Museum of Art and is written by Peter Kostoulakos, ISA ˜ Fine Art Consultant