Emma Fordyce MacRae (American Artist, 1887 to 1974)
MacRae was born in Vienna Austria, but moved to the United States as a child. Her love for art started at an early age and can be credited largely to her parents’ collection of paintings from European artists. MacRae painted mainly in the Gloucester area of Massachusetts and New York City. Throughout her life, she frequently returned to Europe to study the latest trends in European art. MacRae studied at the Art Students League and the New York School of Art. She was an Associate member of the National Academy of Design and enjoyed full membership in such organizations as the Gloucester Society of Artists, the Pen and Brush Club, the National Association of Women Artists, the American Federation of Arts, the Boston Art Club and the Philadelphia Ten.
Her works were widely showcased in exhibits including the PAFA, the Carnegie Institute, the Art Institute of Chicago, Pepsi-Cola, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Arts Club. MacRae received numerous awards for her work. She taught at the National Academy of Design, Wesleyan College and Cosmopolitan College. Homer Swift, a Physician and research scientist at the Rockefeller Institute was her husband.