Woods in November

Irvine was born in Illinois in 1869. Though raised in the Midwest, he was captivated by the scenic coast and landscape of New England and spent most of his adult life there. Irvine stands out from other American Impressionists of his time, for his willingness to push the traditional techniques of impressionism with his aquaprints and prismatic paintings of the late 1920s.

Shortly after graduating high school, Irvine moved from the suburbs to Chicago in order to attend business school. He worked at the Chicago Portrait Company starting in 1893, and began evening classes at The Art Institute of Chicago two years later. Irvine continued taking courses at the Art Institute for eight years. In 1895, he began exploring landscape painting, and soon he began showing his landscapes in group shows.

Irvine began taking painting trips to New England in the early 1900s, including spending a portion of one summer painting on Mohegan Island off of the coast of Maine–a favorite spot for many artists. Ultimately, Irvine chose to establish a home in Brooksound, CT near Old Lyme. He began exhibiting alongside Old Lyme artists in 1914 and became an active member of the Lyme Art Association.

Despite settling in New England by 1918, Irvine received vast exposure and was heavily active in the Midwest art scene, exhibiting his work in both regions of the US. As a successful artist living off of the sale of his oil paintings, Irvine was able to travel frequently, scouting new locations in which to paint landscapes en plein air.

In the 1930s, Irvine continued to produce work and exhibit with the Lyme Art Association until his health began to decline. Despite the looming shadow of modernism, and the art market’s shifting tastes, he remained relevant as an impressionist painter until the end of his life.