Aldro T. Hibbard (1886-1972)

Aldro T. Hibbard was a celebrated American landscape painter best known for his winter scenes of Vermont and coastal views of Rockport, Massachusetts. A leading figure of the Rockport School and a key member of the Cape Ann art colony, Hibbard helped define early 20th-century American Impressionism in New England.

Born in Falmouth, Massachusetts, Hibbard studied at the Massachusetts Normal Art School (now Massachusetts College of Art and Design) and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where he was mentored by renowned American painters Joseph DeCamp and Edmund Tarbell. After a European study tour from 1913–1914, his Boston exhibitions earned critical acclaim, launching his professional career.

Hibbard spent his winters painting snow-covered Vermont landscapes—especially around Jamaica, Vermont—capturing scenes of logging, sugaring, and rural life with bold brushwork and crisp light. Summers were devoted to painting and teaching in Rockport, where he founded the Hibbard School of Painting and served as president of the Rockport Art Association for over 20 years. His legacy helped shape Rockport into a major center for plein air painting.

Hibbard influenced generations of painters including Emile Gruppe, Paul Strisik, Marguerite Stuber Pearson, and Roger Curtis. Today, his work continues to inspire artists and collectors alike. His paintings are featured in major museum collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Currier Museum of Art, Portland Museum of Art, and the Whistler House Museum of Art, as well as in esteemed private and corporate collections.