F. Usher DeVoll

DeVoll is one of those many important American painters who is enjoying a resurgence of interest by collectors and researchers alike. Born in Providence, he was a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design in 1896 and went on to study at the Art Student’s League with W.M. Chase and Robert Henri. Some time was also spent studying with Laurens in Paris. Among his colleagues at RISD, who would go on to notable recognition in the art world, were Eliza Gardiner and Mabel May Woodward.

While DeVoll made Rhode Island his home, he is best known for his paintings of New York street and harbor scenes. Frequently he would travel to the empire city huddling along its doorways and riding the Staten Island Ferry to capture the city from the perspective of its every day inhabitants. He found beauty among the busy farmers market, looming bridges and nighttime skyline. His thickly painted canvases have a movement and density common among American Impressionists painters.

Devoll's work has been shown in all the leading exhibitions in this country and he received the Silver Medal in 1915 at the Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco. His works are in museum collections such as RISD and at the Delgado Museum in New Orleans. He was a member of a number of fine art institutions including the Providence Art Club, the Providence Water Color Club, the Springfield Art Association and the American Artists Professional League.