Ettore Caser (Italian/American 1880-1944) On the Pond

Caser was born in Venice, Italy, and it was his grandmother who encouraged him in his interest in art. He was largely self-taught; however, he took some study at the Art Academy in Venice with Ettore Tito and Mario de Maria. He immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts circa 1908; however, he returned to Italy circa 1914 to fight for his native country and received the War Cross for distinguished service. After the war he returned to Boston. At some point, he made the acquaintance of Winchester, Massachusetts artist Herman, who persuaded Caser to come work with him in his Winchester, Massachusetts studio. There he established himself, primarily, as a decorative artist and was commissioned to decorate the Ginn Estate (now demolished) in Winchester, the dining room in the Engineer’s Club in New York City and the Peoples Savings Associations in Toledo, Ohio.

Caser was skilled in the handling of color and light using the method of glazing discovered by the 16th century Venetian masters, which is beautifully captured in his landscape paintings. In 1940 Caser moved to New York City where he died in 1944.

Caser was a member of the National Academy of Design (associate, 1931) and the Grand Central Art Gallery. He exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Design (1909-28); Corcoran Gallery (1914-19, 1926, 1932); Art Institute of Chicago; and the Pan-Pacific Expo (San Francisco, 1915, silver medal); National Academy of Design (1929, Thomas B. Clark Prize); Grand Central Galleries (1929); Rimini, Italy (silver medal), among others.

High auction record for this artist: $5,700