Morston Constantine Ream
Born Ohio, 1840
Died New York, 1898

Born in Lancaster, Ohio, Morston Constantine Ream was a specialist in fruit and dessert still lifes. Ream's older brother, Carducius Plantagenet, is also well known for his still lifes and encouraged Morston to seriously study painting.

Ream began his artistic career in daguerreotyping in 1860 in Cleveland. He spent eight years as a photographer's apprentice until he discovered the printing processes detrimental to his health. Ream moved to New York around 1868 to study painting. In 1870, his paintings were exhibited by James F. Ryder. In addition to his still lifes, Ream also produced some landscapes and genre paintings. Ream died in 1898 in New York City, where he kept various studios in Union Square.

Exhibited: Moore's Art Rooms, NY (1880-1870s); Cleveland, OH; the National Academy; the Pennsylvania National Academy of Fine Art; the Brooklyn Art Association (1873-1883, 1892); San Fransisco; NAD 1872-83; Toledo Loan Exhibition 1885; AIC 1888-97.

Further Reading:
Who Was Who in American Art 1564-1975: 400 Years of Artists in America, Vol. 3. Peter Hastings Falk, Georgia Kuchen and Veronica Roessler, eds.,Sound View Press, Madison, Connecticut, 1999. 3 Vols.

© David Cook Galleries, LLC