Born in London, Albert Sterner (1863-1946 New York) took classes at the Birmingham Art Institute before moving to Chicago with his family. There he worked for a lithography firm and painted sets for the Grand Opera House. In 1885 he opened a studio in New York and established himself as a major painter and an illustrator for popular periodicals like Harper's, Scribner's, Century (where he was a staff artist), Collier's, and Munsey's (where he served as an art editor). He became known for illustrating fiction about the upper classs and those aspiring to wealth. As a portraitist, he was commissioned by various upper class patrons, including Vanderbilts and Whitneys.
Sterner traveled frequently to Europe and studied at the Académie Julian in Paris and at the École des Beaux Arts with Jean-Léon Gérôme, winning medals at French and German expositions. By 1918 he had returned to the United States; he began teaching at the Art Students League and subsequently at the National Academy of Design. A founding member of the Society of Illustrators in 1901, he served as its president in 1907-08.
Sterner's original prints, drawings and paintings are represented in international collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the South Kensington Museum, London; the Kupferstich Kabinet, Munich; and the Royal Print Collection of Italy.
Sources:
https://americanart.si.edu/artist/albert-sterner-4637
http://www.askart.com/artist_bio/Albert_Edward_Sterner/22984/Albert_Edward_Sterner.aspx and related sources
