Fairchild, Hurlstone (1893 - 1966)

Rainstorm Over the Desert by Hurlstone Fairchild (1893-1966) 12" x 24", Oil/Canvas, Signed Lower Left Est.: $2,000 - $3,000 Sold by John Moran Auctioneers for $5,085 on 10/26/04 ARTIST WORLD RECORD

Born in Danville, Illinois, Hurlstone Fairchild was an illustrator, writer and painter of Southwest subjects, especially the Grand Canyon. In 1950, his book, Grand Canyon Sketches and Verse, was published, and work by him is in the Grand Canyon National Park Collection.

He was educated at the Universities of Illinois and Michigan and as a mining engineer at the Missouri School of Mines in Rollo. Initially he pursued mining engineering as a career. This work led him to long hours in the desert, and he developed a strong desire to be an artist and to capture the openness and beauty of the desert, especially Arizona, where ultimately he settled.

With Ruth Warner and Vera Patterson, he founded the Gallery of Southwestern Art, Tucson, Arizona. They were committed to Southwest oriented art, which gave people an emotional "lift" and inspiration. He is credited with significant contribution to the cultural life of the Southwest.

He was a self-taught artist and was bestowed the honor of "Fellow" by the Royal Scottish Academy, one of few Americans so honored.

Fairchild exhibited at the Society of Independent Artists and in Arizona.

Sources include:
Covington Gallery, Tucson
Peter Falk, Editor, Who Was Who in American Art
Peggy and Harold Samuels, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Artists of the American West