Roberta Reynolds Parke (1862-1948)

Roberta Reynolds Parke
Scene: ” Still Life ”
Size 25 1/8″ x 30″ ( 28 3/8″ x 33 1/4″ framed ) ………$1,395.00 Canadian

Roberta Reynolds Parke’s Still Life is a refined floral composition that balances natural beauty with domestic objects. The vibrant yellow and blue blossoms, paired with an earthenware jug and gleaming brass watering can, form the heart of the painting. Soft pussy willow sprigs and muted backgrounds provide depth, while Parke’s careful brushwork and warm palette create a mood of serenity. The piece reflects both her academic training and her poetic sensitivity, embodying the quiet elegance of early 20th-century still-life painting.

Parke was a multifaceted individual who excelled as both an educator and artist. From her early teaching days in rural New York to her long tenure at Masten Park High School, she displayed a deep commitment to education. Alongside her teaching, she pursued serious artistic training, culminating in a Master’s in Fine Arts. Her life reflects a dedication to the arts and academia during a time when such achievements by women were still gaining recognition.

Roberta Reynolds Parke (1862–1948)

Roberta Reynolds Parke was an American educator and artist whose life reflected a deep commitment to both teaching and the fine arts. Born Jennie Roberta Reynolds on January 20, 1862, in Lanark, Illinois, she pursued a rigorous education that included studies at Geneseo Normal School, Oberlin College, Radcliffe College, and the University at Buffalo, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts. Demonstrating a lifelong dedication to learning, she later earned a Master of Fine Arts from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, in 1930.

Parke began her teaching career in 1880 in East Otto, New York, and spent much of her professional life educating young minds, notably at Masten Park High School in Buffalo between 1899 and 1925. Her commitment to students and the arts went hand in hand, and she balanced her teaching with the creation of refined, academic-influenced artwork, particularly still-life compositions that highlighted her keen observational skills and delicate sense of color and form.

In 1903, she married Dr. Benjamin Rush Parke, a Civil War veteran, who sadly passed away in 1910. Two years later, she purchased a summer home in Springville, New York, where she continued to teach and paint. Parke’s work, which often included floral arrangements and domestic still lifes, reflects both her academic training and her personal artistic sensibility, combining precision with quiet lyricism.

Roberta Reynolds Parke passed away on May 31, 1948, in Springville, New York, and was laid to rest in Maplewood Cemetery. Her legacy endures through her contributions to education and the subtle, elegant works she left behind, which continue to offer insight into the refined practices of early 20th-century women artists.

With special thanks to Jeanne Fornes for generously providing the following biographical timeline.

Roberta Reynolds Parke was both an educator and artist.

Born -January 20, 1862 in Lanark Illinois as Jennie Roberta Reynolds. She was educated at the Geneseo Normal School, Oberlin College, Radcliffe College, University at Buffalo where she received a B.A. Degree and later a Masters in Fine Arts from Stetson University in DeLand Florida

1880 she taught school in East Otto, NY and stayed with her Aunt Elizabeth Reynolds and Uncle Luzern Slocum

1899 -1925 taught at Masten Park High School and lived in Buffalo

1903 married Benjamin Rush Parke, MD-Civil War veteran

1910 Benjamin dies of a cerebral hemorrhage

1912 Bought house on Vaughn Street, Springville NY as a summer home

1930 Graduated from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida with a Masters in Fine Arts

May 31, 1948 died in Springville and is buried in Maplewood Cemetery