Maine Artist (1859-1937)
A Universalist Esthetic & Cosmic Interpreter

by Frederic L. Thompson

“Stories are what bring us together. They provide intimate windows into the places we come from and the people around us. Fred Thompson’s story of Mary Neal Richardson (1859–1937) does just that. Who was this Maine artist he saw in an old photograph who had painted portraits of his family nearly a century ago? Like all good histories, that question started the author on a journey, through archives, major museums, and small Maine towns, to find a significant artist who had largely been lost to time. Thompson’s book illuminates the artistic roots and temperament of the painter and her Maine family, Richardson’s long studio career in Boston, and her travels around the world pursuing her art and spirituality. A wonderful addition to our understanding of Maine history and art.”

—Steve Bromage, Executive Director of the Maine Historical Society