Early Life and Education
- Edmund H. Wuerpel was born in St. Louis to a German father and Austrian mother.
- His father was the Cashier of the Peoples Savings Bank in St. Louis but absconded with the available assets of the bank and fled to Mexico.
- The family followed him to Mexico and Wuerpel was home-schooled by his mother due to frequent moves.
- He entered Washington University School of Fine Arts and also trained in Paris at Académie Julian and École des Beaux-Arts.
- Wuerpel studied under notable artists such as Jean Aman-Jean, Jean-Léon Gérôme, and Tony Robert-Fleury.
- He became close friends with painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler and taught at Washington University School of Fine Arts for 58 years.
Contributions to Dentistry
- Wuerpel collaborated with orthodontics pioneer Edward Angle to develop aesthetics for dentists.
- He lectured at Angle School in St. Louis, New York, New London, and Pasadena.
- Wuerpel developed the Angle-Wuerpel orthodontic table and was honored as an honorary member of the Angle Society for Dentists.
Personal Life
- Wuerpel married Minnie Clay Johnson and had three daughters: Althea, Lois, and Margaret.
- He died at the age of 91 while living with his daughter Lois Bowles.
- His wife died a few months later, but there is no information about his daughters' deaths.
Artistic Career
- Wuerpel's art is classified as Tonalism, using a limited palette and painting intimate landscapes, usually of trees.
- He is known for his unusual palette, often called 'Purple Wuerpel'.
- Wuerpel's estimated artistic output is about 1,100 paintings, with around 400 sold.
- Few of his paintings appear in gallery inventories or are sold at auction.
Notable Dentists and Influential Figures in Dentistry
- Notable Dentists: Robert M. Ricketts, Alfred Paul Rogers, Ronald Roth, Everett Shapiro, L. F. Andrews.
- Influential Figures in Dentistry: Frederick Lester Stanton, Earl Emanuel Shepard, Cecil C. Steiner, David L. Turpin, Charles H. Tweed.
- Contributions to Dentistry: Edmund H. Wuerpel, Robert M. Ricketts, Alfred Paul Rogers, Ronald Roth, Everett Shapiro.
- Achievements in Dental Research: L. F. Andrews, Frederick Lester Stanton, Earl Emanuel Shepard, Cecil C. Steiner, David L. Turpin.
- Impact on Dental Education: Charles H. Tweed, Edmund H. Wuerpel, Robert M. Ricketts, Alfred Paul Rogers, Ronald Roth.
Edmund Henry Wuerpel (May 13, 1866—February, 1958), was an American painter, longtime educator, and second director of the St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, part of Washington University in St. Louis. In his years of training in Paris, Wuerpel became a friend of painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler who helped spread the influence of the "Tonal School" in the Midwest. In a parallel career Wuerpel also played an important role in the development of orthodontics, collaborating with the "first great teacher of orthodontia" Edward Angle and lecturing in the Midwest and western United States on aesthetics and orthodontics.
Edmund Henry Wuerpel | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 13, 1866 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | February, 1958 |
| Education | Washington University in St. Louis, Washington University School of Fine Art, Académie Julian, École des Beaux-Arts |
| Occupation(s) | Painter, educator, academic administrator, designer of orthodontics |
| Employer | Washington University in St. Louis |
| Movement | Tonalism |
| Spouse | Minnie Clay Johnson |
| Children | 3 |
