Esta and Herman Maril in their Baltimore home, 1968
Secretary of Labor Arthur Goldberg, with his wife Dorothy, left and Director of the Baltimore Museum Adeline D. Breeskin, prepare to supervise the installation of a Herman Maril painting that was borrowed in 1963 for his federal office. The oil painting, on loan from the Museum of Modern Art, is entitled Cape Still Life.
Herman Maril stands with then Deputy Director of the National Gallery Charles Parkhurst in front of one of the artist’s Duets paintings, 1973. Parkhurst was also the former Director of the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Herman Maril on a Cape Cod Beach, 1980
In a 1985 meeting, Democrats meet in the office of Rep. Thomas S. Foley, majority whip, on strategy for voting on President Reagan's efforts to aid Nicaraguan rebels. The painting in the background on the wall is an oil by Herman Maril borrowed from the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The painting also hung in Vice President Walter Mondale's office.
Herman Maril, 1971
1908
Born October 13, Baltimore Maryland.
1926
Graduates from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.
1928
Graduates from Maryland Institute College of Art.
1930
Camps alone for several months at Soldiers Delight, Maryland, to paint.
1932
Painting voted “most unpopular” at exhibition of Society of Independent Artists in Washington D.C.
1933
Receives easel painting assignments on Works Progress Administration (WPA) art project. One of the works, Sketch of Old Baltimore Waterfront, is among those selected from entire national project to hang in special exhibits at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It is now part of the Smithsonian Institute collection.
1934
Visits Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for the first time and meets Duncan Phillips, who purchases several small works Maril created there.
Completes his first solo exhibition at Howard University Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.
Eleanor Roosevelt selects Sketch of Old Baltimore Waterfront to hang in the White House.
1935
American Magazine of Art features Herman Maril article by Olin Dows in July issue.
1936
Marie Sterner becomes interested in Maril’s work and presents his first New York exhibition in her 57th Street gallery.
Invited to teach ten-week summer painting course at Cummington School of the Arts in Cummington, Massachusetts. Teaches alongside William Bronk who was teaching poetry.
1937
Receives commission for mural from the Treasury Department Art Project for the post office in Altavista, Virginia.
Lives in New York City and becomes acquainted with many painters.
1939
Receives commission for mural from the Treasury Department Art Project for the post office in West Scranton, Pennsylvania.
1942–45
Serves in the U.S. Army.
1946
Teaches at the King-Smith School of the Creative Arts in Washington D.C.
1946–47
Teaches at the Washington Workshop of the Arts, and at University of Maryland, College Park.
1947
Becomes full-time faculty member in the University of Maryland, College Park art department.
1948
Marries Esta Cook.
Starts spending summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and renews acquaintanceships with artists Karl Knaths and Milton Avery.
1949
Meets Mason F. Lord, then a student at Princeton University.
1950
Son, David, born.
1954
Daughter, Suzanne, born. Later, she changes her name to Nadja.
1955–56
Serves as visiting instructor in painting and drawing at the Philadelphia Museum School of Art.
1958
Purchases former post office as summer home in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
1961
Oil painting Dark Waters featured on front page of The Washington Post newspaper.
1962
Visits Monhegan Island, Maine.
1964
Visits the Adirondacks in upstate New York.
Oil painting Sand and Water wins Mead “Painting of the Year” award.
1967
Visits Mexico.
1968
Visits New Mexico, participating in the artists’ part of the Treasury Department water reclamation project.
1971
Elected to the National Academy of Design.
1973
Travels throughout Italy and France.
1974
Travels along the coast of California.
1978
Receives honors from the Institute of Arts and Letters.
1980
Gives oral history interview to Ronald Becker for the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution.
1981
Travels to England.
1983
University of Maryland, University College establishes a permanent Herman Maril gallery.
1984
Awarded Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from University of Maryland, University College in recognition of his lifetime achievements.
Visits Portugal and Spain.
1986
Dies on September 6, at age 77, in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
2008
West Gallery at University of Maryland, College Park, is named in his honor.