Charles Frederick Naegele (1857-1944) [RA 1893-1944]
American Realist portrait and landscape painter ;
Charles F. Naegele ; C.F. Naegele ; C. F. Naegele ; Chas. Naegele ; Charles Naegele ; Charles Naegle ;
[Born May 8, 1893 in Knoxville, TN  – died January 27, 1944 in Cobb, GA]

SAL record control number: 170685 ;

Record level: Person ;

Record type: Artist ;

Biography:

Birth: May 8, 1893 in Knoxville, TN ;
Death: January 27, 1944 in Cobb, GA ;
Sex: Male ;
Ethnicity: White ;
Zodiac:  Taurus ;

Known for:  Portrait painting ; landscape painting ;
Medium: Oil ; ink ; graphite ; charcoal ;
Technique: Painting ; drawing ;
Subjects: People ; landscape ;

Areas: Knoxville, TN ; Memphis, TN ; Cobb, GA ; Marietta, GA ; New York, NY ;
Region:  South ;
Lived: Knoxville, TN ; Memphis, TN ; Cobb, GA ; Marietta, GA ; New York, NY ;
Father:
Mother: 
Relatives:
Spouse:  ;
Children: 

Training: Tombstone carver, Memphis, TN (1873) ;
Instructors: Charles Myles Collier (1836-1908) ; William Sartain (1843-1924), New York, NY (1880) ; William Merritt Chase (1849-1916), New York, NY (1880) ;
Work: Sign painting, Knoxville, TN ;

Taught:
Students:

Member: Salmagundi, New York, NY, resident artist member (1896-1944) ; Artist’s Fund Society, New York, NY ; Lotus Club, New York, NY ;
Exhibited with: Salmagundi, New York, NY ; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA (1889-1891) ; National Academy of Design, New York, NY (1892-1900) ; Mechanics Fair, Boston, MA (1900) ; Charleston Exposition, Charleston, SC (1902) ; Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL (1912) ;
Awards: Mechanics Fair, Boston, MA, gold medal (1900) ; Charleston Exposition, Charleston, SC, medal (1902) ; Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL (1912) ;

Milestones:  ;

Notes:

Charles Frederick Naegele (1857-1944) was an American painter known for his portraits and landscape paintings. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and later moved with his family to Memphis, where he was apprenticed to a tombstone carver in 1873. Naegele earned money painting signs and it was through a sign commission that he met marine painter Charles Myles Collier, who gave him painting lessons and sent him to study in New York City with William Sartain and William Merritt Chase in 1880.

After completing his studies in 1882, Naegele stayed in New York and gained recognition as a portrait painter. He also designed medals and painted idealized figures of women portraying “Motherhood” and “American Beauty.” In 1896, Naegele exhibited a collection of thirty portraits at the Salmagundi Club in New York City, showcasing his ability to work with color schemes in delicate tones of flesh and textures.

Naegele’s portraits were noted for their strength in drawing, certainty of touch, and realization of form, which were honed through years of labor in monochrome. He often used panels of mahogany, walnut, gum, and oak for his backgrounds, leaving the natural color of the wood to contrast with the brilliant tones of his subjects. This technique produced a novel effect, with the figure standing out with deceptive strength and detachment. Notable works from the Salmagundi Club exhibition included a small portrait of Charles E. Proctor, a dainty portrait of his daughter, and a portrait of his wife with much distinction and grace.

Naegele was a highly active member of the Salmagundi Club, originating a new method of encouraging public collection of pictures and doing library indexing for the Club. He was also a member of the Artist’s Fund Society and Lotus Club in addition to the Salmagundi Club. His exhibition venues included the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts annual from 1889 to 1891, National Academy of Design from 1892 to 1900, Mechanics Fair in Boston in 1900 (gold), Charleston Exposition in 1902 (medal), and Art Institute of Chicago in 1912.

Later in his career, Naegele turned increasingly to landscape paintings, particularly after his retirement to his hilltop studio, “Artcrest,” near Marietta, Georgia. He was a member of the Atlanta Art Association and died in Marietta in 1944.