Lowell Nesbitt 1933–1993

Born in 1933, Lowell Nesbitt studied at the Tyler School of Art in Pennsylvania and the Royal Academy of Arts in London. His first solo exhibition was in 1958 at the Baltimore Museum of Art, which acted as a springboard to his successful career. A critique from fellow artist, Robert Indiana, had monumental impact on the direction Nesbitt’s work. Indiana viewed Nesbitt’s early abstract paintings and suggested he integrate the style of photorealism into his work. What emerged was a distinctive body of paintings focused primarily on colossal, stylized flowers. Lilies, roses, and tulips were just a few of the flowers to predominantly feature on his canvases. Not to be pigeon-holed into one medium or subject matter, Nesbitt also explored techniques in drawings, printmaking, sculpture, and even jewelry. He served as the official artist for the NASA space flights of Apollo 9 and 13, and his pieces can be found in many public collections such as National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Art Institute of Chicago.