William R. Hollingsworth Jr. (February 17, 1910 – August 1, 1944) was an American watercolor and oil painter from the state of Mississippi. He died by suicide at age 34.
William R. Hollingsworth Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 17, 1910 Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | August 1, 1944 (aged 34) Jackson, Mississippi |
| Education | University of Mississippi Chicago Art Institute |
| Occupation | Painter |
| Spouse | Jane Oakley |
| Children | 1 |
Early life edit
William R. Hollingsworth Jr. was born on February 17, 1910, in Jackson, Mississippi.[1] He attended the University of Mississippi for two years and then transferred to the Chicago Art Institute, graduating in 1934.[1][2][3]
Career edit
Hollingsworth returned to Jackson, Mississippi after failing to find work in Chicago during the Great Depression.[1] He worked for the Federal Emergency Relief Administration during the day and painted at night.[1] In 1942, during the Second World War, he tried to enlist in the United States Navy, but his application was rejected due to "poor eyesight" within two weeks.[1]
Hollingsworth specialized in oil paintings and watercolors.[3] Many of his paintings depicted the lives of African-Americans in West Jackson during segregation.[1] He won prizes from the Chicago Arts Club, the Southern States Art League and the National Watercolor Society.[3]
Personal life, death and legacy edit
Hollingsworth married Jane Oakley, and they had a son, Billy.[1] He committed suicide by gunshot on August 1, 1944, in Jackson, Mississippi, aged 34.[2] Eudora Welty wrote a book about him, published posthumously in 2002.[1] Some of his paintings can be seen at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson, Mississippi.[4]
Further reading edit
- Hollingsworth, William R. Jr. (1981). Hollingsworth, Jane (ed.). Hollingsworth: The Man, The Artist, and His Work. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9780878051380.
- Welty, Eudora (2002). On William Hollingsworth. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781578064878. OCLC 49902483.
- Gruber, J. Richard (2012). Dietrick, Robin C. (ed.). To Paint and Pray: The Art and Life of William R. Hollingsworth, Jr. Jackson, Mississippi: Mississippi Museum of Art. ISBN 9781887422215. OCLC 798221655.
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hunter Cole, William Hollingsworth: An Artist of Joy and Sadness, Mississippi History Now
- ^ a b "Noted Mississippi Artist Kills Self in Jackson". Hattiesburg American. Hattiesburg, Mississippi. August 1, 1944. p. 5. Retrieved February 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Society. Cary Art Club Sponsors Hollingsworth Memorial". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. October 24, 1944. p. 2. Retrieved February 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Official website: Permanent collection