John E. Weis
John Ellsworth Weis (1892–1962) was a prominent Cincinnati painter and educator. Born in Clay City, Kentucky, and raised in Higginsport, Ohio, he entered the Art Academy of Cincinnati at age fifteen, studying under Frank Duveneck, Lewis Henry Meakin, James R. Hopkins, and Herman Wessel.
Weis joined the Academy faculty in 1918 and, apart from his service during the First World War, taught there until his retirement in 1957. Although he considered portraiture his primary vocation, he also painted landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, and figure subjects.
In 1921, Weis traveled to France with fellow Cincinnati artist Frank Myer, painting in Brittany, studying in Paris, and exhibiting at the Paris Salon. He later spent summers painting in Taos, Rockport, and Maine. An active figure in Cincinnati’s artistic community, Weis served as president of the Cincinnati Art Club from 1927 to 1928.
Throughout his career, Weis resisted being confined to a single style or subject, continually experimenting with his approach to painting. His long tenure at the Art Academy and active exhibition career made him an important link between Cincinnati’s Duveneck generation and the artists who followed.
20 x 24 ″
Oil on CanvasH 20in X W 24in Framed Dimensions: H 27in X W 31in
30 x 24.5 ″
Oil on canvas24.5 x 30 inchesFramedSigned: JE Weis
Oil on Canvas
27 x 42 ″
Weis depicts an antique shop in Gloucester, Massachusetts, a coastal community the artist frequently visited and painted. Gloucester held particular importance for Cincinnati artists, many of whom traveled to the New England coast during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to paint its distinctive architecture, harbors, and surrounding landscape.
Here, Weis turns away from the harbor to capture the character of Gloucester itself. Closely grouped buildings, irregular rooflines, and colorful facades create a lively streetscape, while the prominent “ANTIQUES” sign identifies the everyday subject at its center. Weis uses simplified forms, strong outlines, and saturated passages of green, yellow, blue, and red to transform the modest storefront into a vibrant study of color and place. The work reflects both Weis’s personal connection to Gloucester and the broader tradition of Cincinnati artists finding inspiration along the Massachusetts coast.
