The Life and Art of Florence MacKubin
Florence MacKubin was an American portrait painter who worked in oil colors, pastel, and miniature. Born in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, she studied drawing in Italy before continuing her education at Les Ruches in Fontainebleau under M. Lainé. Her diverse training included studying in Munich under Professor Herterich, as well as studying oil with Louis Deschamps, pastel with Julius Rolshoven, and miniature painting with Mlle. Jeanne Devina in Paris.
Her professional career involved painting portraits of prominent individuals across the United States and the United Kingdom. Notable subjects included Joel Chandler Harris, Basil Gildersleeve, Justice Horace Gray, Senator George F. Hoar, and the Marchioness of Bath. She was also commissioned by the Board of Public Works of Maryland to create copies of portraits of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, and Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, as well as a copy of Van Dyke's portrait of Queen Henrietta Maria. In her twelve-year career, she received commissions for 360 miniature portraits.
Exhibitions and Recognition
MacKubin exhibited her work at several prestigious venues, including the Paris Salon, the London Academy, the National Academy in New York, and the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Her accolades included a bronze medal and diploma at the Tennessee Exposition in 1897. She also displayed a life-sized portrait of Cardinal Gibbons at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904.
Beyond her individual exhibitions, she held leadership roles such as vice president of the Baltimore Watercolor Club and was a member of the Maryland Society of the Colonial Dames of America. While she resided in Baltimore for much of her life, she also maintained a studio and summer home in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.
