Sears Gallagher
Sears Gallagher (April 30, 1869 – June 9, 1955) was an American artist known for drawing, etching, watercolor and oil painting. He created landscapes, seascapes, and city scenes of his native Boston and northern New England, especially Monhegan Island, Maine. He also worked as an illustrator for magazines and books, and his etchings and prints were popular.
Born in South Boston to a working‑class family, Gallagher showed talent early and studied at the English High School and in private lessons. He exhibited at the Boston Art Club at age 18. He trained in Boston and Paris, studying at the Académie Julian and with teachers including Tommaso Juglaris, Charles H. Woodbury, and Samuel P. Rolt Triscott. A 1892 trip with Triscott to Monhegan began a long connection with the island, where he bought a house in 1904 and returned regularly for decades. In 1895 he married Charlotte Dodge and shortly after traveled to Europe for further study.
Gallagher settled in West Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1897, where he lived for the rest of his life. He exhibited widely—before 1900 he had eight shows, and between 1900 and 1929 he showed 46 times. He illustrated books and magazines to earn a steady income and created a series of 40 etchings of Boston landmarks, followed by similar work on New York, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. He taught at Boston University’s evening school and gained early praise for his watercolors, with critics comparing him to Winslow Homer and F. W. Benson, and his etchings to James McNeill Whistler.
Gallagher’s reputation peaked around World War II. He continued painting and etching into the 1940s, though his name faded from prominence in later years. In the 21st century his work has had limited exhibitions, but is held by major institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Harvard Art Museums; Smithsonian American Art Museum; Boston Public Library; and many other museums. His works were also part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
He died in West Roxbury on June 9, 1955 and was buried at Walnut Hills Cemetery.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:56 (CET).