Sheldon Parsons

Sheldon Parsons (1866-1943)

Born 1866 in New York, he was resident of Santa Fe from 1913-1943 and died in 1943 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Sheldon Parsons studied at the NAD with Chase, Will Low and Edgar Ward. He was a successful NYC portrait painter of national celebrities between 1895 and 1912. When his wife died, Parsons come to Santa Fe in 1913. One of the earliest resident artists, he painted serene impressionist landscapes. In 1918, Parsons was the first director of the Museum of New Mexico. In Santa Fe, Parsons painted scenes of the town and countryside.

Information from “Samuel’s Encyclopedia of Artists of the American West”.

Parsons discovery of Santa Fe in 1913 resulted from tuberculosis while in route from New York to San Francisco to paint murals for an exposition. After his recovery, Parsons settled permanently in Santa Fe and turned to the surrounding landscape as his subject matter. Many of his paintings reflected an influence of Impressionism with the use of the saturation of light and the use of a high-key, bright palette

Source: “Artists of 20th Century New Mexico”