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Edgar Alwin Payne (1 March 1883 – 8 April 1947) was an American Western landscape painter and muralist. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1883 ( MDCCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land including physical elements such as Landforms living elements of flora and fauna abstract elements such as lighting Painting (pān'tīng in Art, is the practice of applying Color to a Surface (support base such as e A mural is a Painting on a wall ceiling or other large permanent surface

Contents

Early life

Payne was born in Washburn, Barry County, Missouri, in the heart of the Ozarks. Washburn is a city in Washburn Township, Barry County, Missouri, United States. Barry County is a County located in the US state of Missouri. Washburn is in southwest Missouri, only nine miles from the Arkansas border. Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. But that wouldn’t stop this turn-of-the-century Missouri teenager from seeing the world. Before Edgar was done he would crisscross the United States, travel to Mexico, Canada, and Europe, and even spend the summer in the Alps. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page But, like John Muir before him, and Ansel Adams after, it was the American West that most appealed to his heart. John Muir ( April 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914) was a Scottish -born American Naturalist, author and early Ansel Easton Adams (February 20 1902 – April 22 1984 was a legendary American Photographer and Environmentalist, best known for his Black-and-white

Leaving home at age 19, he would paint houses, signs, portraits, murals, and local theatre stage sets, to pay his way. First traveling through the Ozarks, then around the Southeast and Midwest of the U. S. , and then onto Mexico, he would finally wind up in Chicago, and enroll to study portrait art at the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's premier Fine art museums He did not stay long at the institute, just two weeks, finding it too structured, he preferring instead to be self-taught, relying on practice and his own sense of direction.

Struggling at first, he would soon exhibit at the Palette and Chisel Club, landscape works that had been painted on a small easel. During this period he would also obtain the occasional mural work to supplement his income.

He would make his way to California for the first time at the age of 26, in 1909. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting He would spend several months painting at Laguna Beach, then head on to San Francisco. Laguna Beach is a seaside resort and artist community located in southern Orange County California, approximately southeast of the county seat of Santa Ana. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city In San Francisco he would meet other artist, among them was commercial artist, Elsie Palmer (1884-1971), whom he would marry three years later, back in Chicago. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. He would return to California for a second time, two years later, in 1911. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year When he returned to Illinois that fall, he found that Elsie had taken a job as commercial artist in Chicago. This cemented their already growing interest in each other. On the morning of their wedding day about a year later, 9 November 1912, Edgar noticing that the light was “perfect", had Elsie postpone the ceremony until the afternoon. Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Luckily the artist in her gave her some understanding.

As a couple they become well known in Chicago’s art circle, she would help him with his mural work, and soon he had an exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago. Arguably their greatest collaborative effort happened in 1914 with the arrival of their daughter, Evelyn. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

Major breakthroughs

The following spring they took Evelyn to see her maternal grandparents in San Francisco. They would also attend the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE was a World's fair held in San Francisco California between February 20 and December 4 in The following year Edgar would make his first trip to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This trip would again be a big moment in his life, and he would return again and again to paint the beauty of the unspoiled Sierra, these paintings would be one of his hallmarks.

He earned his first major commission in 1917. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year In a bid to attract tourist, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad asked him to paint the Southwest, along the railroads' trek from Albuquerque to California. The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 This commission would solidify, not only his reputation as an artist, but it would also forever link him to Western America. Although he would paint in Europe, he is most remembered for his work from the Four Corners area, on the Navajo Nation Reservation, to that of Yosemite, and the California coast. The Four Corners is a region of the United States consisting of southwest Colorado, northwest New Mexico, northeast Arizona and southeast The Navajo Nation ( Diné in the Navajo language) is a semi- autonomous Native American homeland covering about 26000 square miles (67339 square That year He and Elsie would spend four months painting, exploring, and taking in Canyon de Chelly. Canyon de Chelly National Monument was established April 1, 1931, as a unit of the National Park Service and is located in northeastern Arizona This area, from Taos, New Mexico to the Grand Canyon, would become one of Payne's two main inspirations for the next twenty years. Taos (ˈtaʊs is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico. The Grand Canyon

The Santa Fe Railroad commissions were the turn of the century brainchild of William H. Simpson, chief of the railway's advertising department. Starting in 1892, with Thomas Moran, Simpson would exchange travel on the train, along with lodging at railroad hotels and meals at railroad restaurants, and even sometimes cash, for paintings, photographs, pottery, and jewelry. Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Thomas Moran ( February 12, 1837 - August 25, 1926) from Bolton, England was an artist of This endeavor would last for decades, make the Santa Fe one of the largest collectors of southwestern fine art, and most importantly, give America a valuable lasting treasure.

When the Santa Fe commission expired the couple returned to San Francisco. Edgar received a commission from the Congress Hotel in Chicago for a mural of 11,000 square yards of muslin. Muslin is a type of finely-woven Cotton fabric, introduced to Europe from the Middle East in the 17th century The mural would cover several floors of the hallways of the hotel. He would need to rent a warehouse in Glendale, California, and hire other artist to help him, including Elsie, to complete the work. Glendale ( is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States.

In 1918, Edgar and Elsie would make their home, with studio in Laguna Beach. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He would organize a local art association, the Laguna Beach Art Association, and become its first president. They would spend the next four years painting their way throughout the southwest, and to places like Canadian Rockies in British Columbia, and Alberta, Canada, and then exhibiting in the Los Angeles area. The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905 Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Sometimes their trips would be hiking into the backcountry, looking for undisturbed places of raw, and rare beauty, to paint, sometimes for weeks. After finding success during this period, the trio took a two-year “painting tour” of Europe, 1922-1924. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Painting in Brittany, Paris, Provence, Switzerland, and Venice. Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Of course his favorite place in Europe was the Alps, painting The Great White Peak of Mont Blanc, which in the spring of 1923, the Paris Salon gave "an honorable mention". Mont Blanc Massif The Mont Blanc ( French for white mountain) or Monte Bianco ( Italian 'White Mountain' also Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Salon (Salon or rarely Paris Salon (French Salon de Paris) beginning in 1725 was the official Art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts

Upon returning the U. S. in the fall of 1924, they first stayed in Chicago, then back to Laguna Beach, and then on to New York City in 1926. The City of New York Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Always on the go, they would move and paint in Arizona, California, the California Sierras, Connecticut, New Mexico, New York, and Utah. They would spend the summers crossing the country, painting as they went. They returned to Europe to paint the harbors of Brittany, and Chioggia, in 1928. Chioggia ( Venetan: Cióxa, Latin: Clodia) is a coastal town and Comune of the Province of Venice in the Veneto Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The following summer they painted Lake Louise, Alberta. Lake Louise is a hamlet located in the Canadian province of Alberta in Banff National Park.

Later life

After the financial collapse of 1929, and the subsequent Great Depression, commissions didn’t come as easily, so the Paynes returned to Southern California on a more permanent basis, purchasing a new Los Angeles, studio-home, in 1932. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Southern California, or So Cal, is defined as the southern portion of the U Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. During this time, Evelyn would marry, and Edgar and Elsie would become separated that same year. Edgar moved to Hollywood, to a small studio-home on Seward Street. However, he would spend a great deal of his time in the California Sierra Nevada Mountains, painting his favorite subject.

His lifelong obsession with the Sierras would lead him to produce a documentary film, “Sierra Journey”. He wrote, “Composition of Outdoor Painting”, a comprehensive landscape painting techniques handbook, in 1941, the sixth edition printing of the work was done in 1995 (Publisher: Derus Fine Arts; ISBN 0-944699-02-2). Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995

After a 14-year separation, Elsie returned to help Edgar in 1946, upon learning that he had cancer. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She stayed with him until he died, 8 April 1946. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

There is a bronze relief sculptor of Edgar at the Laguna Beach Art Museum, done by Elsie in 1952. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She championed his work until her own health, and degradation of eyesight, caused her to stop in 1959. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She moved in with Evelyn and her husband, in 1969, in Minneapolis. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Elsie died peacefully 17 June 1971. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar.

You can find works of Payne's that are of Italian harbors, the Alps, landscapes of Laguna, but Edgar Alwin Payne is most remembered for his work of American Indians of the Four Corners area, and, of course, the paintings of his beloved Sierras. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States In the Sierras, high up in Humphrey's Basin, you will find the lake named for him, Payne Lake.

His work was an influence on Bill Wray and other painters. William York Wray (b March 24, 1956, Fort Meade Maryland) is an American cartoonist and landscape painter notable for his Urban Landscape

Galleries and collections with Payne's works:

His memberships:

Sources

External links

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