John J. Enneking was born on October 4, 1840 in Minster, OH. He was orphaned at the age of 16, and left his father’s farm to live with an aunt. His first art lessons, taken at Mount St. Mary’s College in Cincinnati, were interrupted when he enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. Severely wounded in action and discharged from service, Enneking eventually made his way to Boston to continue art lessons. For a time he studied industrial drawing and lithography, but dropped it when his eyes weakened.
Tinsmithing proved to be a profitable career choice for Enneking. He flourished at this occupation, married, and built a large home in Hyde Park, MA. He later became a partner in a wholesale establishment that soon after failed, and again Enneking returned to art. His efforts finally met success, and by the time he sailed for Europe in 1872, his career as an artist had been assured. Enneking studied with Bonnat and Daubigny in Paris from 1873 to 1876, and with Lehr in Munich. After studying in Europe, he returned to Boston in 1876 and opened a studio. His later style became much more impressionistic, losing much of the grandeur of his earlier European teachers.
Enneking was a member of the Twentieth Century Club, Pudding Stone Club, Hyde Park Historical Society, Boston Art Club, Paint and Clay Club of Boston, and the Boston Guild of Artists. He maintained a studio on Boylston Street in Boston, MA. During his career, Enneking made several painting trips to the White Mountains and became the artist-in-residence at Wilson Cottages and the Iron Mountain House.
He exhibited at the following: Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Association, Boston (medals); Paris Expo, 1900 (prize); Pan-Am Expo in Buffalo, 1901 (medal); Pan-Pacific Expo in San Francisco, 1915 (gold). For many years, Enneking was instrumental in organizing exhibitions at the Poland Spring Art Gallery with Gallery Director, Nellie Ricker.
Within a few days of becoming ill with pneumonia, Enneking died at his home on Webster Street in Hyde Park on November 16, 1916. Funeral services were held locally at the Unitarian Church, with burial at Fairview Cemetery, Readville, MA. The artist left behind a wife, one son, and three daughters. His work has been preserved at the Worcester Museum and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Image of John J. Enneking
John Joseph Enneking (1840-1911)
References
Independent research by the authors
New Hampshire Scenery