This page: An example of Theodore Colebrook’s ability to capture intimate moments in his subjects’ lives. Oil on linen, 24 x 32 inches (above); the artist at work, who currently lives in San Francisco (below). Opposite page: Donald Ross, Chairman of The Preservation Society of
CO U RTE S Y O F T H E O D O R E CO LE B RO O K
Newport County, is a great supporter of Colebrook’s work, including the one seen here. Oil on paper, 12 x 9 inches.
FEW OF US DISCOVER our passion, much less our profession, in second grade. Theodore "Ted" Colebrook is one of those few. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Ted took his art seriously from a very early age. Sixty years later, he is still passionate about painting and has become a highly successful and a well-regarded artist. Although Colebrook is as adept at seascapes as he is with portraiture, he has spent this past winter in Florida painting interiors. The tradition of depicting interiors is long-standing in an artist’s oeuvre. The 17th-century painters gave us glimpses of royal households, as did the Dutch with their wealthy merchants. This trend continues with the 19th-century interiors of the Biedermeier, showing us their unmistakable style. Walter Gay (1856–1937), an important influence in Colebrook’s work, brought modernity to the genre, as he depicted the society of his day. In more recent times, Julian Barrow comes to mind. A peripatetic Englishman, he was equally at home on the banks of the Ganges as he was in the most opulent living room. With both Barrow and Colebrook, the client often becomes a life-long friend, giving the artist an even better underM AY 2 0 1 5 8 9