28 February-John Holland

John Holland was a native of Kilkenny, Ireland. He was an artist who is known for his abstract painting. He emigrated to America in 1905 and lived there for the rest of his life.

John Holland was born in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1882. He moved to Cork City at the age of 19 to study at what is now the CIT Crawford College Art and Design. Holland emigrated to the United States at the age of twenty four where he joined the army. He served in the United States Marines until his discharge in 1909.

Following discharge Holland travelled widely and worked at various jobs. During his time travelling he undertook further training in art at the San Francisco Art Institute, California from 1911 to 1913. He also did art training in Portland, Oregon and Chicago. He settled in San Francisco in 1929 at the start of the Great Depression.

During the Depression era Holland lived and worked in a building called the Montgomery Block. The Montgomery Block was the first fireproof and earthquake resistant building in San Francisco. The building, which was referred to locally as the ‘Monkey Block’, was home to many artists and writers. (It is now the location of the Transamerica Pyramid). Holland lived there whilst working for the Federal Art Project. The Federal Art Project was the visual arts arm of the Great Depression-era New Deal Works Progress Administration.

Holland was an abstract painter known for such paintings as ‘Bird Fanciers’ which he painted in 1945. A watercolour painting called ‘Trees, Golden Gate Park’ was recently discovered. It is described as having significant historical value and was given a monetary value of $1,200. Holland died of a heart attack in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco at the age of 65 on June 3rd 1947.

John Holland was born in the year 1882 On This Day.

Bird Fanciers, 1945

John Holland

Golden Gate Park 67 by Michael Fraley on 2012-12-29 12:15:52