Robert Burns Wilson
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Robert Burns Wilson | |
|---|---|
 Robert Burns Wilson | |
| Born | October 30, 1850 |
| Died | March 31, 1916 (aged 65) |
| Education | self-taught |
| Known for | Painting |
| Relatives | Anne Elizabeth Wilson (daughter) |
Robert Burns Wilson (October 30, 1850 – March 31, 1916) was an American painter and poet.
Wilson was born in Parker, Pennsylvania[1] in 1850. In his teens, he moved to Pittsburgh and, with little formal training, he became a self-taught painter and poet. Wilson eventually traveled to and settled in Frankfort, Kentucky, where he achieved his greatest fame.[2] In 1901, Wilson married Anne Hendrick, daughter of General William J. Hendrick, a former Attorney-General of Kentucky, during a visit to New York.[3] Wilson moved from Kentucky to New York in 1904, and died there in 1916. His body was returned to Frankfort for interment, which he considered his home.[2] He is buried in Frankfort Cemetery near the grave of Daniel Boone.
Career
As a painter, Wilson is best known for his landscapes of the Kentucky countryside.[2]
Wilson found success as a poet, publishing poems in the major monthly magazines of his day, including Harper's Magazine.[4] Perhaps his most famous poem is "Remember the Maine", based on the battle cry that spurred the United States into the Spanish–American War.[5] While his martial poetry met the spirit of the times, Wilson was best known during his day as a nature poet.[5]
After achieving success as a poet, Wilson tried his hand at prose fiction, publishing Until the Day Break in 1900.[6]
