Harold von Schmidt painted Western scenes so vivid and full of life that it seems he must have actually been on the spot to witness wagon trains heading west, buffalo hunts, and cowboys on the range. Born in California in 1893, Von Schmidt was too young to have experienced the old West, but he absorbed its romance from his grandfather, who had come to California in a wagon train in 1849, and claimed to be the first white man to see Yosemite Valley. Von Schmidt was raised by an aunt and uncle who fostered his interest in art and, more importantly, encouraged him to have a wide variety of experiences to enrich his imagination and craftsmanship.
After studying at the California College of Arts and Crafts, he apprenticed himself to Maynard Dixon, one of the foremost California painters of the time, paying for his instruction by modeling for Dixon. Struggling to succeed as a freelance artist, he worked at a number of jobs, and eventually signed on with a company that produced advertising billboards. The state of California was threatening to ban outdoor advertising, so Von Schmidt hired some of the best West Coast artists to create beautiful billboards.
Moving to New York in 1924, Von Schmidt began to make a name for himself as an illustrator. He married in 1927 and moved to Westport, Connecticut, where he worked from a studio attached to his house. Continue reading from Illustration History
Harold Von Schmidt (Society Illustrators)
Harold Von Schmidt (A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art)
Harold Von Schmidt: Pictorial Structure through Research (Norman Rockwell Museum)
Harold Von Schmidt (1863-1982) (American Illustrators Gallery)
Harold Von Schmidt: Art in Embassies (US Department of State)
Oral History Interview with Harold Von Schmidt, 1965 August 8 (Smithsonian Archives of American Art)
Harold von Schmidt, Painter and Illustrator, is Dead at 86 (NY Times)
