Louis Oscar Griffith

(American, 1875-1956)

Louis Oscar Griffith was born on October 10, 1875 in Greencastle, Indiana.  He studied at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts in 1893 and in Dallas with Frank Reaugh in 1896.  Griffith became interested in copper etchings early in his career and in 1915 he won a bronze medal for his work in aquatints.  He moved to Brown County in 1920 where he found more time for his etching and also began to improve his oil painting technique. He painted realistic landscape, portrait and genre with an Impressionist-influenced style.  He was a regular exhibitor at the Hoosier Salon, where he received several awards.  Griffith made many trips to the South and West, as well as Maine and Brittany, France.  He died November 13, 1956.    

Studied

St. Louis School FA, 1893; AIC, 1895; with Frank Reaugh, 1896; NAD; Paris.

Member

Chicago SE (founder); Brown County AA; Indiana AC; Hoosier Salon; Indiana PM; Chicago Galleries Assn.; Chicago P&S; Palette & Chisel Club (pres., 1911).

Exhibited

AIC; PanPacific Expo, 1915 (bronze medal); NOAA, 1916-17; PAFA, 1921; Hoosier Salon, 1925 (prize), 1930 (prize), 1938 (prize); San Antonio AL, 1929 (prize); Nat. Mus., 1945; LOC, 1943; NAD, 1943; Brown County AA, annually, 1938 (prize); Palette & Chisel Club, (gold), 1921; Indiana AC; Chicago SE, annually, 1949 (prize) Indiana AC, annually; Indiana PM, annually; John Herron AI, 1952. Other awards: Ade prize, 1925.

Work

Delgado Mus. Art; Oakland Art Gal.; Indiana Univ.; Lafayette (IN) AA; Vanderpoel Collection; NGA; Witte Mem. Mus.; J.B. Speed Mem. Mus.; Union League Club, Chicago.

Resources

WW53; WW47; Encyclopedia of New Orleans Artists, 166; PHF files; Peggy and Harold Samuels, 196; Falk, Exh. Record Series; Who Was Who in American Art: 400 Years of Artists in America, 1378; askart.com; home.teleport.com.