EDGAR PAYNE
Artist
Images
Recognized as one of California's leading landscape
artists, Payne’s work will always assure him a
favored place in the history of American
Impressionism. He is internationally renowned for
his depictions of the High Sierras, Indians riding
through desert canyons, landscapes of the Sierra
Nevada and French and Italian boat scenes as well as
authoring a book titled Composition of Outdoor
Painting.
Born in Washburn, Missouri, Edgar Payne, like many
artists, felt so strongly called by art that at age
fourteen he ran away from home to pursue a career
forbidden by his father. He earned money painting
houses, stage sets and murals, and traveled through
the Ozarks, Texas, Mexico and Chicago.
He was self-taught except for a brief period at the
Art Institute of Chicago. While there, he was active
with the Chicago Society of Artists and the Alumni
Association of the Art Institute.
In 1909, he first visited California and painted
scenes of Laguna Beach and San Francisco. During
this time he discovered the beauty of the Sierra
Nevada Mountains, where he returned continually
throughout his career for the inspiration that led
to his signature paintings and a turning from murals
and stage sets to landscape painting.
While in San Francisco he met artist Elsie Palmer
whom he married in Chicago in 1912. In 1916, the
Santa Fe Railroad commissioned him to paint the
Southwest, and the couple spent four months in
Canyon de Chelly. In 1917 he returned to Glendale,
CA with a commission from Chicago's Congress Hotel
for a mural of 11,000 square yards of muslin which
was accomplished with the help of other local
artists and installed shortly thereafter. The
Payne’s also traveled and sketched the Grand Canyon
and scenes of New Mexico. In 1918 they established a
home and studio in Laguna Beach where he organized
and became the first president of the local art
association. He continued painting and exhibiting in
Los Angeles and Laguna until 1922 when he and Elsie
began a two-year painting tour of Europe. There, in
1923 at the Paris Salon, Payne won an Honorable
Mention, which was significant recognition because
more than 7000 paintings were exhibited. During the
next eight years their winter residence was mainly
in and around NYC. They had planned to build a house
there, but did not start the project because of the
economy. During the Depression, Payne took teaching
jobs to earn money for him and his family. He also
wrote his book on his art theories and techniques -
"Composition of Outdoor Painting", which was
published in 1941. With many printings, it has been
a popular guide to landscape painting and is still
as valid today as it was then. They traveled from
coast to coast in the U.S. until 1932 when they
returned to Hollywood and the following year
separated.
Payne produced a color motion picture called "Sierra
Journey" and Payne Lake in the High Sierra is named
for him. He never had enjoyed great health and on
April 8, 1947, after a six-month illness, he died of
cancer. After his death, his wife Elsie promoted
Edgar’s work through museum exhibitions and
commercial galleries. There never was a period in
which people forgot the name of Edgar Payne or did
not collect his work.
Member: Salmagundi Club (NYC); Laguna Beach AA
(founding member and first president, 1918); Calif.
Art Club (pres. 1926); Chicago Society of Artists;
AAPL; Carmel AA. Exhibited: Palette & Chisel Club,
1913; Calif. State Fairs, 1917, 1918 (medals); Ten
Painters of LA, 1919; LACMA, 1919 (solo); AIC, 1920
(prize); Southwest Museum (LA), 1921 (prize); Paris
Salon, 1923; NAD, 1929 (prize); GGIE, 1939; Calif.
Art Club, 1947 (prize). In: NAD; NMAA; AIC; Orange
Co. (CA) Museum; Irvine (CA) Museum; Chicago Museum;
Indianapolis Museum; Bancroft Library (UC Berkeley);
Pasadena Art Inst.; Pasadena Museum; Southwest
Museum (LA); Springville (UT) Museum; Fleischer
Museum (Scottsdale); Oakland Museum.
Source: Edan Hughes, "Artists in California,
1786-1940"; Goldfield, “Edgar Payne” 1882-1947.
