George Matthews Harding

{{short description|American painter (1882–1959)}} {{for|the architect George M. Harding (1827–1910) of Portland, Maine|George M. Harding (architect)}} {{Infobox artist | name = George Matthews Harding | image = George Matthews Harding.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Portrait of Harding at an easel by William S. Ellis | birth_date = {{birth year|1882}} | birth_place = Philadelphia, United States | death_date = {{Death date and age|1959|1882}} | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | nationality =  | education = {{Plainlist| *Boston Tech *Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts}} | alma_mater = | known_for = {{hlist|American painter|author|illustrator|muralist|war artist}} | notable_works = | style = | movement = | spouse = {{Marriage|Anita Cotheal Nisbett|1916}} | partner = | children = 2 | parents = | father = | mother = | relatives = Charlotte Harding (sister) | family = | awards =  | signature = | signature_type = | signature_size = | signature_alt = | elected = | patrons = | memorials = | website =  | module = }}

'''George Matthews Harding''' (1882–1959) was an American painter, author-illustrator, and a muralist. He served as an official war artist during World War I and World War II.

==Life and career== George Matthews Harding was born in Philadelphia. At first, he studied architecture at Boston Tech. His final choice of careers was influenced by his older sister Charlotte Harding, who had studied art at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with Howard Pyle. Charlotte encouraged him to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He attended the academy at night and worked as an architect during the day. Following an introduction by his sister, Harding, like some other future AEF artists, studied for a time with Howard Pyle.<ref name="Art from the Trenches">Alfred Emile Cornebise. [https://books.google.com/books?id=g77YBQAAQBAJ&dq=poster%20committee%20of%20the%20U.S.%20Navy%20Recruiting%20Service&pg=PP30 ''Art from the Trenches: America's Uniformed Artists in World War I'']. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1991.</ref>

Harding's first illustrations appeared in the ''Saturday Evening Post'' in 1903, and in 1906 he became an illustrator and author for ''Harper's Monthly Magazine''. While ''with Harper's'' he traveled extensively throughout the United States and the world. In 1915 he joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania as an associate professor in the department of fine arts, a post he held until 1935. He married Anita Cotheal Nisbett of Ardmore on June 5, 1916, and they had two children.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/5401190/ ''Delaware County Daily Times''] (Chester, Pennsylvania), June 5, 1916, page 7.</ref> Until 1917, he continued his international travels writing and illustrating articles for the ''Saturday Evening Post'' and ''Harper's Magazine.''

When the United States entered World War I, he was chosen as one of eight combat artists attached to the American Expeditionary Forces in France.<ref name="Philadelphia Inquirer">Joseph S. Kennedy. [https://archive.today/20130216153125/http://articles.philly.com/2001-10-21/news/25303257_1_murals-mill-grove-paintings Murals trace Montco history: Artist George M. Harding's notes offer insight on his approach], ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', October 21, 2001. [https://web.archive.org/web/20171224030817/http://www.speakershouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/news-12-4-13-GeorgeMatthewsHarding.pdf Archive]</ref> He began his artistic service as a member of the poster section of the U.S. Navy Publicity Bureau, and from there he was selected for the Army's Art program. Much of the work he produced during the war reflects his attempts to satisfy critics in Washington who wanted to see more action scenes.

After World War I, Harding returned to his painting and teaching in Philadelphia, publishing a limited-edition portfolio of some of his war art entitled ''The American Expeditionary Forces in Action,''<ref>[http://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/idno/11878 ''The American Expeditionary Forces In Action: Drawings of Capt. George Harding, V.S.R., Official Artist A.E.F.'']</ref> and established his own studio and home in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. While Harding produced his first mural for the Traymore Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1915,<ref>[https://www.pafa.org/sites/default/files/media-assets/MS.2017.01_GeorgeHarding.pdf George M. Harding papers, Collection ID#: MS.2017.0], ''The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts''</ref> he gained much wider reputation as a muralist in the interwar period.

He created murals for Post Office Department in Washington, D.C., post offices in Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, among others.<ref>[https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/gsa-properties/visiting-public-buildings/william-jefferson-clinton-federal-building/whats-inside/wheres-the-art/george-harding George Harding], ''U.S. General Services Administration''</ref> A lost mural by Harding in 1921 titled, "Washington Crossing the Delaware", was rediscovered after a search began in 2021. The 16x10 foot painting originally resided at the Taylor Opera House and was put into storage after it was deemed too large to display at another museum.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kindy |first1=Dave |title=Long-lost mural of George Washington found rolled up in a basement |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/long-lost-mural-of-george-washington-found-rolled-up-in-a-basement/ |access-date=June 4, 2023 |work=The Washington Post |agency=The Seattle Times |date=March 19, 2023}}</ref>

In 1942, at age 60, he accepted a commission with the U.S. Marine Corps as a combat artist in its campaigns in the Pacific during World War II.<ref name="Philadelphia Inquirer"/> This time, he served as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps.<ref>Vincent Fraley. [https://projects.library.villanova.edu/wwionline/artists-in-uniform/ Artists in Uniform], ''The Historical Society of Pennsylvania'', June 27, 2014.</ref>

His work was included in a few major group shows including "American Battle Painting 1776-1918" in 1944 and "Marines Under Fire" in 1943. Both were at New York's MOMA. In 1957 the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts would have a retrospective exhibition of his work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=George Harding|url=https://artfacts.net/artist/george-harding/150896/biography|access-date=October 19, 2021|website=ArtFacts.net}}</ref> In February 1959, his work was part of a three-man show at Lehigh University with Schilli Maier and Benton Spruance hosted by Professor Francis Quirk.<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 24, 1959|title=Three Artists Featured in Library Display|work=Brown and White|url=https://bwarchive.lib.lehigh.edu/?a=d&d=BW19590224-01.2.7&srpos=9&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-francis+quirk+opening------|access-date=October 19, 2021}}</ref>

After the war, he produced a series of murals for the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania.<ref name="Philadelphia Inquirer"/>

He died in 1959 after suffering a stroke a year before.

==Recognition== In 1940, Harding was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate member, and became a full Academician in 1945. He was also elected to the Society of Mural Painters. He was the only AEF artist who served in both world wars.<ref name="Art from the Trenches"/>

== See also== * United States Army Art Program

<gallery mode=packed caption="Gallery"> File:Traffic To Mont-St. Pere by George Matthews Harding.jpg|Traffic To Mont-St. Pere File:American gun fire, early morning, opening of Verdun offensive.jpg|American gun fire, opening of Verdun offensive File:Boche Plane Falling in No Man's Land of Verdun Offensive by George Matthews Harding.jpg|Boche Plane Falling in No Man's Land of Verdun Offensive File:American troops entering a village in pursuit of the enemy during the advance across the Marne, July 13, 1918.jpg|American troops entering a village File:American wounded making way to first aid station in the Village of Marne during German attack.jpg|American wounded making way to first aid station File:Between shells at Chateau Thierry by George Harding.jpg|Between shells at Chateau Thierry File:Traffic to Mont St. Pere by George Harding.jpg|Traffic to Mont St. Pere File:During Verdun drive a German plane got two Allied balloons in less than a minute.jpg|German plane shooting two Allied balloons </gallery>

==References== {{reflist}} * {{ACMH|url = http://www.history.army.mil/html/artphoto/pripos/wwi-print/harding.html| article = George Matthews Harding}}

==External links== {{commons category|George Matthews Harding}} * [http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object-groups/official-artwork-wwi/harding Works by George Matthews Harding at the National Museum of American History] * {{FadedPage|id=Harding, George Matthews|name=George Matthews Harding (illustrator)|author=yes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, George Matthews}} Category:1882 births Category:1959 deaths Category:Painters from Philadelphia Category:Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts alumni Category:United States Army artists Category:University of Pennsylvania faculty Category:World War I artists Category:20th-century American war artists Category:20th-century American painters Category:20th-century American male artists Category:American male painters Category:20th-century American illustrators Category:National Academy of Design members