Sears Gallagher

The Wharf, Monhegan

1920s

Sears Gallagher was born in Boston in 1869. Gallagher studied in Boston with SPR Triscott in the 1880s as well as at the Académie Julian in Paris in 1895. Gallagher was a member of The Guild of Boston Artists, Chicago Society of Etchers, Society of Graphic Artists in New York City and American Federation of Arts. A prolific artist, Gallagher exhibited his works at the Boston Art Club (1887–1909), Paris Salon (1896), Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1900–03, 1912 and 1916) and Art Institute of Chicago (1922). His works won various awards and were also exhibited at several well-known galleries throughout New England. Gallagher’s works can be found in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Art Institute of Chicago, Library of Congress, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Public Library and Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris. As well as being a successful painter and etcher, Gallagher was a watercolor instructor at Boston University, Massachusetts. Gallagher was a member of the early group of artists who rediscovered and began painting on Monhegan Island, off the coast of Maine. He was introduced to the island by SPR Triscott, and beginning in 1898, he summered on the island every year for over 50 years, capturing the island’s beautiful and dramatic scenery. Monhegan Fish House, an etching by Gallagher, shows early life on Monhegan Island, which is located 10 miles off the coast of Maine.