John Middleton Freeman. Biography facts.
The Goldin Fine Art collection currently holds about 100 original works on paper by the artist John Middleton Freeman; this is a part of his art archive and portfolio kept in the George "Yorgo" Demetrakopoulos collection, acquired by us several years ago. These are mainly portraits of fellow students and bargoers and sketches of drinking establishments that Freeman loved visiting both in his hometown Charlottesville and Richmond, Washington DC, and New York, cities where he spent his entire life.
Freeman's drawings are often accompanied by detailed annotations, including the sitter's name, place, time, and the circumstances of creation such as at a concert, for example, or at a drawing class. Since we own a large-volume collection of his works, a rather curious outline of the artistic chronicle of art life during the heyday of the hippie movement covering the period of time from the 1930s to 1990s.
Some works are unsigned, but we were able to attribute them to JMF based on provenance, similarity of both manner and paper, and/or the same media, and/or the same hand.
Freeman's papers are kept in Museums and Libraries: The Fralin Museum of Art University of Virginia. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Margaret R. and Robert M. Freeman Library including:
J.M. Freeman Sketchbook, 1980
Drawing of J.M. Freeman by Casey Lynn Sims, n.d.
Sketch of an Unknown Woman
Sketch of a Richmond Teenager
Robyn, n.d.
J.M. Freeman Sketchbook, 1970-1979
J.M. Freeman Sketchbook, n.d.
J.M. Freeman Photograph of St. Patrick's Cathedral
Letter from Ballard Cabell to John M. Freeman, 1961
J.M. Freeman Sketchbook with Portrait of Margaret Cabell
Rocky and Vicki Sketch
John as a Name Poem
Verses from the Mapmaker of Mott
Drawing of a Girl with Glasses
Jackie of Buckingham Co., 1980
Unbelievable Gerry at the White Tower, 1980
Miscellaneous Verses by J.M. Freeman
Water Color Sketches by John Middleton Freeman, n.d.
Pen and Marker Drawings by John Middleton Freeman, 1970s
Sketches of a Nude Female, n.d.
Notebook, Ellwood Art Poster by John Middleton Freeman, 1980
Below are some facts from Friedman's biography available both online and from his annotations to drawings.
-Tales of Jean de Centreville; Author, John Middleton Freeman; Publisher, John M. Freeman, 1985.
- John Middleton FREEMAN v. COMMONWEALTH of Virginia. 3-1982. A jury convicted John Middleton Freeman of the charge that he "did ... feloniously produce or make sexually explicit visual material which has as a subject a person less than eighteen years of age," Code § 18.2-374.1(B)(2), and fixed his punishment at two years in the penitentiary.
- U.S. MARINE CORPS. 1942-1946. Type of Discharge: Honorable.
- University of VA. Charlottesville 1938. College Years: 1 1/2.
Freeman's works are interesting from both a historical and aesthetic point of view and will be a significant addition to collections of American art. The best of them have museum value.