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DeWitt Parshall Biography

Born in Buffalo, NY on Aug. 2, 1864, DeWitt Parshall, during his college years, had a marked talent for caricature, much to the dismay of the faculty members. After graduating from Hobart College in 1885, he sailed for Dresden where he entered the Royal Academy. He had further study in Paris with Alexander Harrison and at Académies Cormon and Julian.

After moving from New York City to California in 1917, he settled in Santa Barbara where he remained until his death on July 7, 1956. Parshall is best known for his paintings of the Grand Canyon, most of which were done during the years 1910-17; whereas, in California he specialized in landscapes and florals.

Member:
ANA (1910); NA (1917); Allied AA; Int'l Society Art League; Lotus Club; Century Ass'n; NAC; Calif. Art Club; AFA. Exh: World's Columbian Expo (Chicago), 1893; PPIE, 1915; LACMA, 1921; Santa Barbara AA, 1924; Biltmore Salon (LA), 1925; Painters of the West (LA), 1925; GGIE, 1939; Santa Barbara Art League, 1939; Montecito Country Club, 1940.

Collections:
Toledo (OH) Museum; Syracuse (NY) Museum; Detroit Inst. of Arts; San Diego Museum; LACMA; Seattle Museum; Santa Barbara Museum; MM.

Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940"
Southern California Artists (Nancy Moure); History & Ideals of American Art (Neuhaus); American Art Annual 1919-33; Who's Who in California 1928; Who's Who in American Art 1936-56; Who's Who on the Pacific Coast 1949; Artists of the American West (Samuels); Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors & Engravers (Fielding, Mantle); Who's Who in America; Artists of the American West (Doris Dawdy); NY Times, 7-8-1956 (obituary).

Nearly 20,000 biographies can be found in Artists in California 1786-1940 by Edan Hughes and is available for sale ($150). For a full book description and order information please click here.