Charles Edwin Lewis Green (1844-1915)

A native of Lynn, Massachusetts, Charles Green became an artist committed to painting American subject matter, especially the marine and landscape scenes of his native area. He often signed his paintings C.E.L. and was part of the seven “Lynn Beach Painters” that included his close friend, Charles Woodbury.

He began working in the local shoe and leather industry and used the money to take art classes. He and several others had adjoining studios in Lee Hall in the City Square of Lynn.

From the 1880s through 1910, he was a regular exhibitor at the Boston Art Club and also took lessons there. He was a plein-air painter, meaning he completed his landscape and marine scenes outdoors with minimal over painting of colors.

In 1885, he moved to Boston, and he and Charles Woodbury had adjoining studios on Green Street and committed themselves to making their living exclusively with their fine art. They succeeded, and for several years, they were linked together as being non-European trained, stay-at-home artists with very similar impressionist styles and American subject matter. They prided themselves on avoiding European influence, but in the 1890s, their styles became increasingly impressionist from seeing European work in Boston exhibitions.

Green had his first one-man show in 1886 at the J Eastman Chase Gallery, one of Boston’s most prestigious exhibition venues at that time.

In 1906, Green moved from Boston to his hometown of Lynn where in 1909, he became one of the founders of the Lynn Art Club. He died on January 18, 1915, having been a major influence on succeeding generations of painters inspired to paint local marine scenes of the Boston area.