SWINNERTON, James Guilford. Death Valley
Item #8088
28" x 36"; oil on canvas; signed. California artist, b. 1875, d. 1974. Born in Eureka, California, Swinnerton later attended the San Francisco Art Association Art School where he was taught by William Keith and Emil Carlsen, with classmates including notable Western artists Maynard Dixon and Edward Borein. After school he went to work for the "San Francisco Examiner" and drew cartoons for William Randolph Hearst. When Hearst opened up a New York office, Swinnerton joined him on the East coast. However, at age 28 he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and sent to California to recuperate. Moving to Palm Springs in 1907 he began to take sketching trips into the desert. As his appreciation for the desert grew, the small hikes became extended trips into Arizona, Utah, and California where he would acquaint himself with the local tribes. The landscape and lifestyle of the desert appealed to him and was a prominent subject in his paintings. His friendships, travels, and love for the southwest were the inspiration for his cartoons and paintings. Member of several clubs, including President of the Bohemian Club. [Hughes]. |
