Robert Marshall Root

Robert Marshall Root (1863–1937), was a influential American tonalist and impressionist artist. Born to John and Eunice Root, working-class parents, in Shelbyville, Illinois in 1863, young Robert showed artistic promise from an early age. The central Illinois town where Root began his life was part of the judicial circuit where a lawyer by the name of Abraham Lincoln practiced law and debated local politician Anthony Thornton in 1856 over the merits of slavery in the Kansas Territory. Root later memorialized this famous moment in a portrait that still hangs today in the Shelby County Courthouse.[1]

[2]

Root saw many phases of his life. He saw poverty, wealth, culture, and ignorance. Root was concerned with beauty in an era of expansion, mud, saloons, and political rallies. Root left the country town and the crude prairies that were still making history and went to St. Louis and later Paris, France. There, Root found beauty, sophistication, culture, and kindred spirits; as well as high honor, praise and encouragement. When his schooling was completed, Root came home and stayed there.

Youth

Root began his academic studies in the Shelby County school system. While in this youth, young Robert became enamored with the various magazines and comics that he would read at his family's general store in Shelbyville. Upon graduating from high school in approximately 1881, young Robert was accepted into studies at the prestigious Cooper Union in New York City to pursue a career in the visual arts.[3] Unfortunately, Robert returned home only after a few months of study in New York City. He started to reach down into his artistic will and began a career as a sign painter in Shelbyville. Given his ability, Root began to make many friends in and around Shelbyville. He was able to parlay this success into an application and subsequent admission into Washington University in St. Louis. While there, Root excelled in his artistic studies, learning a great appreciation for the aesthetic and serene. He graduated from the University, earning the highest academic and artistic honors.

References
  1. Frazier, Mike (January 18, 2006). "Taking Root: Millikin University helping establish artist's place in history". Herald & Review. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  2. McClain, Dave (September 13, 2006). "Newly cleaned Shelby County courtroom paintings provide virtual window into history". Shelby County News. Archived from the original on 2019-07-24. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  3. Carswell, John (February 21, 2006). "The Style Of Robert Root". Shelbyville Daily Union. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
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