Michele Felice Cornè

Self-portrait by M.F. Cornè

Michele Felice Cornè (1752–1845) was an artist born in Elba who settled in the United States.[1] He lived in Salem and Boston, Massachusetts;[2][3] and in Newport, Rhode Island.[4] He painted marine scenes, portraits, and interior decorations such as fireboards and murals.

Biography

Fleeing from the Napoleonic Wars, Cornè emigrated to the United States on the ship Mount Vernon, commanded by Elias Hasket Derby, Jr., and settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1800. After his arrival, he lived at Captain Derby's father's house. The Derby house in Salem still stands and is open to the public.

Cornè moved to Boston in 1807 and lived and worked there until 1822. In 1810 he painted the wall murals at the Sullivan Dorr house in Providence, Rhode Island in 1810. After the historic battle of USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere on August 19, 1812, Cornè created a series of four paintings showing four key events in the battle. The paintings are in the collection of the United States Naval Academy.

In 1822 Cornè relocated to Newport, Rhode Island. His house in Newport still stands on Cornè Street. He lived there until his death in 1845 at the age of 93. He was buried in the Common Burial Ground in Newport.

Legacy

Examples of his work are in the collections of Historic New England; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston;[5] Peabody Essex Museum;[6] Redwood Library and Athenaeum;[7] and U.S. Naval Academy Museum.[8] Interior murals painted by Corne survive in the Sullivan Dorr house, Providence, Rhode Island.[9]

Cornè and tomatoes

It is reputed that Cornè introduced the tomato into the American diet. In early 19th Century New England tomatoes were thought to be deadly poison. Cornè was accustomed to eating tomatoes in his native land and would regularly eat them without ill effect and, thus, allayed the fears of the residents of his adopted country.[10]

References

  1. ↑ The Marine room of the Peabody Museum of Salem. Salem, MA: Peabody Museum, 1921
  2. ↑ National Gallery of Art (U.S.), Deborah Chotner. American naive paintings. Oxford University Press, 1992
  3. ↑ "Michael Corne, limner, 61 Middle St." Boston Directory, 1813.
  4. ↑ Gerard C. Wertkin, Lee Kogan, American Folk Art Museum. Encyclopedia of American folk art. Taylor & Francis, 2004
  5. ↑ "Collections search". Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Retrieved 2011-12-12.
  6. ↑ "Maritime Art and History". Peabody Essex Museum. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  7. ↑ "Michele Felice Cornè". Newport Notables. Redwood Library & Athenaeum. Retrieved 2011-12-12.
  8. ↑ "USNA Art Collection". U.S. Navy. Retrieved 2011-12-12.
  9. ↑ Brown University. ProvidenceArchitecture.org. Sullivan Dorr House. Retrieved 2011-12-12
  10. ↑ "The First Tomatoes," Newport Daily News, 29 January 1879.

Further reading

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