(1850–1918)
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Charles Yardley Turner began his art studies at the Maryland Institute in 1870. Showing much artistic promise, Turner moved to New York and attended classes at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League between 1872 and 1878. He then traveled to Paris, studying at the prestigious Académie Julian under Laurens from 1878 to 1881, then with Munkacsy and Bonnat. He returned to the United States in 1881, settling in New York where he taught classes at the Art Students League.
Along with Abbott Thayer and John LaFarge, Turner was one of the great American mural painters. He received numerous commissions for murals in major public buildings across the country, many of which can still be seen today. In addition, Turner was a highly regarded Impressionist painter of still lifes and landscapes—especially views of Long Island. He exhibited his works in prestigious venues, including the Brooklyn Art Association, the Boston Art Club, the National Academy of Design, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893; the Pan American Exposition, Buffalo 1901, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
Turner was an active member of the art community, and belonged to organizations such as the National Academy of Design, where he was elected academician in 1886. He also belonged to the Artists Aid Society, the Mural Painters, and the Century Association. Turner’s works are housed in renowned private and public collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Union League Club, New York; and the Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe. His murals can be seen at the Baltimore Court House, the Hudson County Court House, Jersey City; the Essex County Court House, Newark; the Hotel Raleigh, Washington D.C.; and the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria, New York.
