biografía de William SPARKS (1862-1937)

Lugar de nacimiento: St. Louis, MO

Lugar de defunción: San Francisco, CA

Direcciones: San Francisco, CA (since 1891)

Profesión: Painter, etcher, writer, teacher, lecturer, muralist

Estudios: St. Louis Sch. FA; Acad. Colarossi, with Gérôme, Harpignies; Acad. Julian, Paris with Bouguereau.

Exposiciones: St. Louis Expo, 1886; San Francisco AA annuals from 1894; Gump's, San Francisco; Hotel Del Monte, Monterey, 1907-25; Calif. State Fair, 1929

Asociaciones: Bohemian Club, San Francisco; AFA; San Francisco AA; Sequoia Club; Calif. SE

Obra: Huntington Lib., San Marino, CA; Crocker Mus., Sacramento; murals & oils, Bohemian Club; Plaza Hotel, San Francisco; de Young Mem. Mus.; CPLH; FA Gal., San Diego; TMA; Minneapolis Inst. Art; City Art Mus., St. Louis; Bordeaux Municipal Mus., France; Honululu Art Mus.

Comentarios: Despite selling his first painting at age 12, he first pursued a career in medicine before turning to a career in art. While studying in Paris he worked as an anatomical illustrator for Louis Pasteur. For three years, he was on the illustration staffs of newspapers in California, then taught anatomy at Univ. Calif. Medical School, 1904-08. He became one of the leading tonalist landscape painters in the San Francisco Bay area, nationally known for his paintings of the California missions and his nocturnal adobe scenes.

Fuentes: WW40; Hughes, Artists of California, 527; P&H Samuels report that Sparks was living in San Francisco in 1941, and also refer to William F. Sparks, 456.