Christine Rosamond

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Christine Rosamond (October 24, 1947 – March 26, 1994),^[1] who became known by her middle name, Rosamond, was an American artist known for her paintings, watercolors, etchings, lithographs, and acrylics. Born Christine Rosamond Presco in 1947, she is best known for her use of negative space while composing her immensely popular portraits of beautiful and fierce women.^[2] Some of Rosamond’s more noticeable pieces are “Blue Ice”, “Autumn”, and “Denim and Silk.” Rosamond’s public works have sold in the millions,^[1] and have outsold prolific artists Norman Rockwell, and Salvador Dalí. Rosamond experienced a meteoric rise to fame and created a major name for herself in the art industry by the age of 25 when it was practically unheard of for a woman to gain such notoriety in the art scene.^[3]

Early life[edit]

Christine Rosamond was born in Oakland, California to Rosemary Presco on October 24, 1947. Rosamond was the third of four children and grew up in an extremely dysfunctional household surrounded by alcoholism and abuse. However Rosamond developed a strong bond between her siblings and used her art as an outlet for her troubled home-life. Rosamond was said to be drawing and painting at an adult level by the age of 5.

Career beginnings[edit]

Christine saw her career begin to rise in 1972 when her then husband, Scott Hale, encouraged Christine to display her paintings at the 1972 Westwood Art Fair. Her artwork caught the attention of art dealer Ira Kaplan who purchased all of her work and commissioned her to complete a painting for him on a weekly basis. Her immense talent combined with the climate of the era and the 1970s feminist zeitgeist, Rosamond sold millions of her paintings to women and men everywhere. Rosamond would also give birth to her first daughter Shannon during this time.

Rise to fame[edit]

Though Christine saw massive success during her time working for Ira Kaplan, she also felt as though her work was being devalued as she believed her art belonged in galleries and not simply on merchandise. In an attempt to elevate her work from mass merchandise to fine art, Christine began a working relationship with the art printer Jack Solomon. Solomon commissioned painters for lithographs and in this environment where Christine’s art was not only appreciated but celebrated, Christine experienced her most meteoric rise to fame of her young career. With the enormous sales of Christine’s lithographs, she became the most published artist in the world, eclipsing even the likes of Norman Rockwell, Salvador Dali, and Alexander Calder. Though this level of fame would never be reached again by Christine throughout her career, Rosamond would continue to paint and release images as lithographs under the banner of her own company in order to keep artistic control. Rosamond spent four months in Paris where she completed four new lithographs with the prestigious Atelier Mourlot. To this day, Christine Rosamond is recognized as one of the most accomplished artists of her time.

Death[edit]

Just weeks after Christine’s final art expo in 1994, Christine was tide pooling in a cove in Big Sur with her sister Vicki and her daughter Drew when a rogue wave filled the cove.^[1] Vicki was able to save Drew, however, Christine herself was pulled out into the ocean with the retreating tide. Christine Rosamond was swept out to sea and drowned on March 26, 1994 at the young age of 46.^[1]

Personal life[edit]

Christine’s childhood was extremely turbulent, filled with alcoholism and both physical and verbal abuse. Christine’s brother Craig was also a talented artist, however, because of her parents emphasis on supporting Craig’s gifts, they shunned Christine’s causing an immediate rift within her family and stunting Christine’s artistic growth at an early age. Christine’s earliest known works reflect her abusive upbringing and shaped many if not all of her future works as well. Christine and her younger sister, Vicki became very close throughout their childhood as they banded together to withstand the onslaught of constant abuse. This relationship would strengthen throughout Christine’s life to the point where Vicki would even become an investor in Rosamond’s personal publishing and distribution company.

Christine herself struggled mightily with drugs, alcohol, and other self destructive behavior as a result of her difficult upbringing. Her battle with alcoholism would be ongoing until the point of her sobriety just years before her death.

Christine was married and divorced three times. Her final marriage was with the famous muralist, Garth Benton. Christine is survived by her two daughters, Shannon and Drew.

Further reading[edit]

• Lynch, Julie (2010-03-27). Rosamond: A Complete Catalogue Raisonne, 1947-1994. Illustrations by Christine Rosamond. Rosamond Publishing. ISBN 978-0615359892.
• Snyder, Tom (2000-09-05). When You Close Your Eyes. Rosamond Publishing. ISBN 978-0972517508.