Richard Gruelle began his professional career as an artist in Decatur, Illinois, where he established his first studio, but the self-taught painter also briefly lived and worked in
Ohio, and
Florida, before establishing himself in Indiana in 1882. Gruelle became a full-time artist, achieving fame as a member of the
Hoosier Group of painters. In addition to painting Indiana landscapes, Gruelle made extended trips to the East Coast, where he concentrated on painting marine landscapes. He also lived and maintained a studio in New York City from 1905 to 1907, before returning to his home in Indianapolis. In 1910 the Gruelles relocated to
Norwalk, Connecticut.
Early years Gruelle opened his first studio in Decatur, Illinois, specializing in portraiture, but he also painted landscapes and taught painting. Gruelle and his wife, Alice, later moved to
Cincinnati, Ohio, where he briefly decorated cast-iron safes for a local firm and took art classes at night. The couple returned to Arcola, Illinois, in 1876 to care for his widowed mother and an aunt. In 1881, after spending about five years in Arcola, Gruelle, his wife, and infant son, John, left Illinois to live in
Gainesville, Florida, before they relocated to Indiana a year later. Gruelle enjoyed music, in addition to art, and learned to play the piano. He also attended musical concerts. Gruelle was considered an "artistic jack-of-all-trades," but he focused on painting landscapes in oils and watercolor. From his home base in Indianapolis, Gruelle often traveled to the East Coast, making extended sketching trips to
Washington, D.C.;
Baltimore,
Maryland; and
Gloucester, Massachusetts. Local art critics praised the exhibition, which was held in sculptor
Lorado Taft's Chicago studio, for its "individuality, vitality and fresh approach." The exhibition's reviewers also declared that the paintings were "a truly American expression within the modern idiom." As a result of the publicity from the show, the five artists were dubbed the
Hoosier Group. Although the men were professional friends, and their work was exhibited in many of the same art shows, they never formally organized as a group. Each artist maintained his independence and own artistic style. In addition to regular trips to the East Coast, Gruelle lived in
New York City from 1905 to 1907 with his wife, Alice, and two younger children, but returned to Indianapolis, where he continued to paint until the family relocated to
Connecticut in 1910.
Author In 1892 Gruelle was invited to view the private art collection of
Baltimore industrialist
William Thompson Walters at his Maryland home. After the visit Gruelle wrote an article describing the collection for the first issue of
Modern Art magazine. After reading Gruelle's article, which included vivid descriptions of the artworks, Walters asked him to write a book about the collection. Gruelle agreed to the project in 1893, and spent about a year cataloging the collection before completing the manuscript in 1894.
Notes, Critical and Biographical: Collection of W. T. Walters was published in 1895. Gruelle's only book provided detailed descriptions of the masterworks of
Jean-François Millet,
Théodore Rousseau,
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot,
Eugène Delacroix, and
Théodore Géricault, among others in the Walters collection, as well as his own artistic insights. Gruelle also wrote subsequent articles for
Modern Art magazine and the
Indianapolis News. ==Later years==