Homeschooled Artist, Musician and Composer

• Irving Berlin
• John Singleton Copley
• Rembrandt Peale
• Andrew Wyeth
• Claude Monet
• W.A. Mozart
• Anton Bruckner

Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was a homeschooled artist. "As a young boy he sang on the streets for pennies to help support his family after his father died. Though he couldn't read music he taught himself enough piano to began writing songs." More

John Singleton Copley
"Copley’s stepfather, Peter Pelham, played an enormous part in the future artist’s education. First of all, general education – reading, writing and math – were available right at home in Pelham’s school. Most importantly, however, Copley had the opportunity to work in his stepfather's shop, where he was taught the art of engraving, as well as forming friendly contacts with several Boston-based painters, whose studios Copley could visit. " More

Rembrandt Peale
"Rembrandt Peale was renowned for his idealized portraits of prominent Baltimoreans as well as his establishment of the Peale Museum, a museum of paintings and natural history, in Baltimore. His most well-known painting is that of George Washington." More on this homeschooled artist

Andrew Wyeth
"Andrew Wyeth was born July 12, 1917 in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest of five children. Andrew was a sickly child and so his mother and father made the decision to pull him out of school after he contracted whooping cough. His parents home-schooled him in every subject including art education. " More

Claude Monet
"Claude Monet spent his childhood in La Havre. He first became known for his caricatures and exhibited this work locally. During this time, he befriended fellow artist Eugene Boudin who became his mentor. Boudin influenced Monet to begin plein air or outdoor painting. He also encouraged Claude to try oil paint and pastels, instead of charcoal as a medium for his artwork." More

Wolfgang A. Mozart
This is my favorite story of a homeschooled artist. "Recognizing his childrens’ special abilities, Leopold began to devote extra effort to their educations -- with an emphasis on musical instruction. He became a loving, but exacting, taskmaster. Some time later, he would somewhat ruefully describe to a correspondent how from a very early age Nannerl and Wolfgang had learned to wear the "iron shirt" of discipline. The children themselves probably never realized that life could be any different. Wolfgang, no doubt, enjoyed the extra attention and found great pleasure in learning -- and in pleasing his father. It was the start of a relationship that he would never quite break free of, and the beginning of a career that would consume him altogether" More

Anton Bruckner
"He was the son of a village schoolmaster and organist, with whom he first studied and for whom he could deputize when he was ten. His father died in 1837 and he was sent at 13 as a chorister to the St. Florian monastery where he could study organ, violin and theory. He became a schoolmaster-organist, holding village posts, but in 1845 returned to teach at St. Florian, becoming organist there in 1851" More on this homeschooled artist

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