Biografie von George Gardner SYMONS (1863-1930)

Birth place: Chicago, IL

Death place: Hillside, NJ.

Addresses: Ravenswood IL (address was that of his parents), 1899-1902; Brooklyn, NY, 1908-; NYC/Colrain, MA

Profession: Landscape and marine painter

Studied: AIC; Paris; Munich; London, 1902-09

Exhibited: AIC, 1899-1902 (under Simon), 1909-24); PAFA Ann., 1901, 1910-29; NAD, 1909 (Carnegie prize), 1919 (prize); SC, 1910 (prize); Boston AC, 1901; Buenos Aires Expo, 1910 (bronze medal); NAC, 1912 (gold medal); Corcoran Gal biennials, 1910-28 (9 times; incl., bronze medal, 1912); CI, 1913; Concord AA (6th annual exhib.); Soc. Indep. Artists, 1917

Member: ANA, 1910; NA, 1911; Royal Soc. British Artists; Union Int. des Beaux-Arts et des Lettres; SC, 1900; NAC (life); Chicago SA; Century Assn.; Calif. AC; Inst. Arts & Letters; Chicago Gal. Art; AFA.

Work: MMA; CGA; Cincinnati Mus. Art; TMA; AIC; City Art Mus., St. Louis; Dallas AA; Brooklyn Inst. Mus.; Minneapolis IA; CI; Fort Worth Mus.; Butler AI; LACMA; NAC; Des Moines AA; Lincoln (NE) AA; Cedar Rapids AA, Iowa; Mus. Art, Erie, PA; Rochelle(IN) AA; Union Lg. Club, Chicago; Hyde Park AA, Chicago.

Comments: Born George Gardner Simon. Owing to his concerns about anti-semitism, he changed his name to Symons when he returned from study in England and settled in Brooklyn in 1909. Thus, his early paintings are signed "Simon." He was a plein-air painter who combined elements of Realism and Impressionism in his work. Best known for his winter landscapes of the Berkshire Hills, Deerfield Valley, and Gloucester ó all in Massachusetts. He also painted nearly annually in Cornwall, England and also traveled to Southern Calif. (first arriving there in 1896 with his friend, Wm. Wendt). Later, he had studios in Montecito, then Laguna Beach. Most of his career, however, was spent in the East, splitting his time between NYC and his country home in Colrain, MA.

Sources: WW29; WW08 (as Simon); 300 Years of American Art, 558; Falk, Exh. Record Series.