Louis Bertrand Rolston Keeler (1882 – 1963)

Untitled (Cars), 1940, watercolor on paper, signed and dated lower right, 15 x 18 1/2 inches, presented in a newer glazed frame

$850

Rolston Keeler was a New York and Connecticut painter and draftsman, primarily known for his works on paper in pencil or watercolor, as in the case of Untitled (Cars), which is typical of the American Scene painters of the early 1940s. Keeler was born in New York and studied at the National Academy of Design for five years, at the Chase School for an additional year, and he was awarded a Cresson traveling scholarship by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1911 through 1912. He exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, in addition to the Philadelphia Art Club and the National Academy of Design (13 times between 1907 and 1922). Keeler moved to Connecticut in 1928 and was one of the most prolific painters in the WPA’s Federal Art Project, completing 276 watercolors, 33 pencil drawings, 45 oils and two mural panels. During the 1930s, he also exhibited at the Salons of America and the New York Worlds Fair. In addition to his fine art practice, Keeler taught art in Scarsdale, New York where he was a member of the Scarsdale Art Association. Keeler was also a member of the American Watercolor Club. He is listed in Who Was Who in American Art and other standard references.