Benjamin Brown

Benjamin Chambers Brown (1865-1942)

Benjamin Brown was born in Marion, AR on July 14, 1865. Early in life Brown was trained as a photographer and in his late teens studied at the St Louis School of Fine Arts under Paul Harney and John Fry. He later studied in Paris at Academie Julian under Laurens and Benjamin-Constant.

During his early career he moved about and was active in St Louis, Little Rock, and Texas. Earlier he specialized in portraiture and still lifes; however, upon moving to Pasadena in 1896, he turned his attention to the local landscape. Benjamin Brown's first etchings were done in 1914 and, with his brother, Howell, he cofounded the Printmakers of Los Angeles which later became the California Society of Printmakers. Brown died in Pasadena on Jan. 19, 1942. Today he is nationally known for his Impressionist landscapes of the snow-capped Sierra peaks and fields of poppies.

Source: Edan Hughes, "Artists in California 1786-1940"

Benjamin Chambers Brown was born in Marion, Arkansas on July 14, 1865. Early in life he was trained as a photographer and in his teens, studied at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts under Paul Harney and John Fry. He later studied in Paris at the Academie Julien under Laurens and Benjamin-Constant. During the early years of his career as a painter he moved around and was active in St. Louis, Little Rock and Texas specializing in portraiture and still lifes. In 1896 Brown moved to Pasadena and turned his attention to the local landscapes. His first etchings were done in 1914. Brown and his brother cofounded the Printmakers of Los Angeles, which later became the California Society of Printmakers. Brown is nationally known for his Impressionistic paintings of Southern California landscapes: the snow-capped Sierra peaks, poppy fields and eucalyptus trees. Brown died in Pasadena on January 19, 1942.

Biography courtesy of DeRu's Fine Arts, www.antiquesandfineart.com/derus