George Demont Otis, Painter

Otis has long been considered one of America’s premiere Impressionists and one of California’s leading proponents of landscape painting. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, orphaned at the age of six and sent to Chicago, Otis’ artistic training started at age fifteen at the Chicago Art Institute. Later, Otis studied and painted with such well known artists as Robert Henri, John Sloan, Winslow Homer, Thomas Moran, William Merritt Chase, John F. Carlson, Wellington Reynolds, and John Vanderpoel. In 1919, Otis brought his education, talent, love of nature, and teaching to Southern California where he worked until 1930. Later that year, he relocated to San Francisco. Between that time and his death in 1962, Otis continued to travel and paint extensively throughout California and the West. As a skilled painter, etcher, lithographer, stage designer, wood carver, restorer, author, poet, philosopher, and teacher, Otis influenced countless artists who were his companions and students.

Works in this site were featured in exhibitions at the California State Library in Sacramento, California, January 1996 through December 1997 and the Sonoma County Museum in Santa Rosa, California, July 24 through September 27, 1998.

The paintings included in this site are from the George Demont Otis Estate Collection and the Aurel Keck Collection. George Demont Otis Foundation, Grace Hartley, Executive Director.

Copyright ©1998 George Demont Otis Foundation, Sacramento, California. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopy, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the George Demont Otis Foundation.