The painter James J. Hennessey (1936-2023) crafted compelling environments by skillfully manipulating light and space. The fresco-like colors and textured surfaces in his paintings subtly reflect the influence of his time spent in Italy, where the legacy of the Italian Renaissance left a lasting impression. His artistic lineage is unmistakably rooted in the traditions of Renaissance masters. A quiet mystery lingers in much of his work—a quality he articulated in the following statement:

Artist’s Description of His Paintings:
“My paintings are contrivances. I strive to create convincing, albeit fictitious, environments. My overriding concern in the work is the fabrication of a feasible condition of light and space, and the manipulation of that quality in relation to the figurative elements. I conceive the climates of my invented enclosures as residual—unoccupied areas qualified and charged by a recent presence, with objects arranged as a result of that late occupancy.”

 Biography:

James J. Hennessey (1936–2023) was an American painter celebrated for his contributions to figurative painting and his lifelong engagement with European artistic traditions. Born in Oak Park, Illinois—a community historically associated with Ernest Hemingway and Frank Lloyd Wright—he pursued undergraduate studies at Illinois Wesleyan University before earning a graduate degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. There, he studied under distinguished artists Richard Diebenkorn, Wendell Black, and Roland Reiss, refining his approach to composition and form. During his time at Boulder, Hennessey was selected to represent Colorado at the Yale Summer School in Norfolk, Connecticut, further shaping his artistic development. His early work reflected the influence of the San Francisco Figurative painters.

In 1960, Hennessey began his teaching career at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Two years later, he gained national recognition when one of his paintings was included in the Museum of Modern Art’s juried exhibition Recent Painting U.S.A., The Figure, which toured the country after its debut in New York. That same year, he was awarded the prestigious Rome Prize by the American Academy in Rome, granting him a two-year residency in Italy. During his time in Rome, he exhibited in several commercial galleries and held a solo exhibition in Milan, establishing a lifelong artistic connection to Italy.

In 1965, Hennessey joined the faculty of the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, where he taught for nearly four decades. Throughout his tenure, he exhibited widely in major galleries, including Marilyn Pearl Gallery in New York, Boris Mirski and Alpha Galleries in Boston, and Pensler Galleries in Washington, D.C. He was also instrumental in fostering international artistic exchange, directing programs for students, faculty, and professional artists, including the MICA Italian Program in Sorrento, Italy and the Alfred and Trafford Klots Residency Program in Rochefort-en-Terre, France. These programs provided artists with opportunities to study and create abroad.

After retiring from teaching in 2002, Hennessey continued to maintain an active studio in Baltimore. He exhibited his work in galleries across the United States and Europe, including the Bill Lowe Gallery in Atlanta and the Sorrento Foundation’s Villa Fiorentino in Sorrento, Italy. His paintings remained deeply influenced by his extensive travels and engagement with European artistic traditions. He remained dedicated to his craft until his passing in May 2023.