Nelson Shanks

John Nelson Shanks (December 23, 1937 – August 28, 2015) was an American artist and painter. His best known works include his portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales, first shown at Hirschl & Adler Gallery in New York City, April 24 to June 28, 1996,

Shanks was a painter, teacher and art historian influential in the revival of Classical Realism in the United States. His portraits of royalty, politicians and celebrities added to his international profile as one of the foremost contemporary figurative painters. Shanks' philosophies and skills were shared through his teaching at various public and private institutions.

Early life Shanks was born in Rochester, New York. At New York's Art Students League, he earned his tuition serving as a monitor in classes taught by Robert Brackman, Ivan Olinsky and Edwin Dickinson.

Career

Commissioned work His portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales was completed in 1996. His other commissions include John Paul II, President Ronald Reagan, President Bill Clinton, and Luciano Pavarotti.

Other exhibition of Shanks' work at museums and galleries have included the National Academy of Design; Hirschl & Adler Galleries; Coe Kerr and FAR Galleries in New York; Dayton Art Institute; the Butler Institute of American Art; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Philadelphia Art Alliance; the New Jersey State Museum; the National Gallery of Art; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; Oklahoma University; the University of Pennsylvania; Temple University, Jefferson University, Johns Hopkins University; the College of William and Mary; the Allentown Art Museum, the Palmer Museum of Art; George Washington University; the University of the Arts; Oglethorpe University Museum; LaSalle University; the Royal Palace, Stockholm; Kensington Palace, London; and the historic Filoli Estate, California.

Portraiture Known for his skill in capturing the complex nature of his subjects, Shanks' portraits have contributed to his reputation as one of the foremost contemporary figurative painters.

In 2015, Shanks revealed that he had hidden a secret reference to the blue dress worn by Monica Lewinsky in the official portrait of President Bill Clinton hanging in the National Portrait Gallery by way of a shadow.

Teaching Shanks was a realist, attempting to capture the essence of his subjects through acute observation and technical skill.

Shanks' teaching philosophy emphasized the importance of gaining knowledge and training the student to "see" with the understanding that it takes years of concentration and practice to become a highly skilled painter. Throughout his career, Shanks painted nearly every day of the year—landscape, still life, the figure and portraits. He set goals to grow and improve with every painting and encouraged students to do the same. He established an apprentice program at his Bucks County home and studio, where artists received room, board and instruction at no cost.

Reception

Recognition and awards In 1996, Shanks was awarded the "Sargent Medal" for Lifetime Achievement by the American Society of Portrait Artists

In 2006, Governor Edward Rendell presented Shanks the Governor’s Distinguished Arts Award, which recognizes a Pennsylvania artist of international fame or renown whose creations and contributions enrich the Commonwealth. Among those contributions noted were his lifelong commitment to teaching and his establishment of Studio Incamminati.

In 2009, Shanks was awarded the Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement by the Portrait Society of America.

In 2011, for "transcendent work" and contributions to culture, the members of the Russian Academy, the centuries-old institution that governs art education and exhibitions in the Russian Federation, voted to make Shanks an honorary member of their ranks.

Death and legacy Shanks died of prostate cancer at his home in Andalusia, Pennsylvania, on August 28, 2015, at the age of 77.

His son Alexander Shanks (b. 1996) is also a painter.