Morston Constantine Ream (American 1840 - 1898) (  aka  Morston Ream  ) Still-life with Fruit and Wine

Born in Lancaster, Ohio, Ream is the younger brother of noted still-life painter Carducius Plantagenet Ream. As a young man, Morston worked as a daguerreotype photographer in Cleveland, Ohio. He spent eight years in this field until he decided that the printing processes, which included fuming with mercury vapor and immersion in a chemical bath, was hazardous to his health. Encouraged by his older brother to pursue painting, he moved to New York City in 1868 to study. Following in his brother’s footsteps Morston became an accomplished still-life painter, but included landscapes and genre scenes in his repertoire. Morston Ream was an adherent of English art critic, John Ruskin’s “truth to nature” approach to painting. It can be observed, especially in his still-lifes, that the smallest element is rendered in exacting detail, thereby truthfully representing his subjects. He exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Art Association, National Academy of Design, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

High auction record for this artist is $21,510.