Emile A. Gruppé

1896 - 1978

Emile Gruppé was born in Rochester, New York, in 1896, studied at the Art Students' League in New York City, and in 1929 started the Gloucester School of Art on Rocky Neck. The School was an institution on Rocky Neck for 30 years and his studio a meeting place for art students for even longer. 

Writing in 1976, Gruppé provided the following instruction for art students:  "the most important thing to remember is that you should try to draw what you see. Don't think you're doing a horse or a tree or a boat. As soon as you start thinking about the subject ... you'll get lost in drawing what you think it looks like. Think of a shape first—then you won't get into trouble."