
Gunnar Mauritz Widforss 1879 - 1934
Timeline of the Artist's Life
1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 |
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October 21, 1879 |
Gunnar Mauritz Widforss was born in Stockholm, Sweden to Blenda and Mauritz Widforss, the sixth of thirteen children. |
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1896-1900 |
Studied to be a muralist at the The Technical School (now Konstfack) in Stockholm, the same school that his mother, Blenda Widforss, studied at. |
Initially protected as a California state park in 1864, Yosemite National Park was established in 1890. Mt. Rainier National Park created in 1899. |
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1901 |
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Widforss departs for an apprenticeship in St. Petersburg, Russia Helsinki, arrives in St. Petersburg and begins working as an apprentice decorative painter |
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1902 |
Crater Lake National Park established The riots are always caused by the students, letter from Gunnar Widforss to his mother Blenda Widforss |
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St. Petersburg |
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1904 |
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Widforss leaves Stockholm and his family to travel and paint Berlin, Zürich |
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Geneva, painting on Mount Saleve |
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Munich, Brixen, South Tyrol, Merano |
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Venice |
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1905 |
Architect Mary Jane Colter designed the Hopi House at Grand Canyon for the Fred Harvey Company. ![]() Stockholm Harbor and Södermalm from Skeppsholmen (with the dome of Katarina Kyrka, and the water tower), 1905, Watercolor, 9 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches (24.5 x 34 cm)
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London, arrives in New York, and then on to Jacksonville, Florida |
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1906 |
![]() Old House in St. Augustine, 1906, Watercolor, 15 x 22 inches (38.1 x 55.9 cm), formerly the Vedder Museum
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St. Augustine, Jacksonville |
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New York, Brooklyn |
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1907 |
President Theodore Roosevelt established Mesa Verde National Park to "preserve the works of man," the first national park of its kind. As an artist I am just making a living, that's all. I have portrayed the dentist and his wife in exchange for dental work. He has already taken out 12 or 13 teeth and is going to make me new ones. Bridge work they call it. Letter to Blenda Widforss |
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Lived in Brooklyn and worked occasionally as a painter and paperhanger. |
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Return to Sweden |
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1908 |
Stockholm Widforss paints many scenes of old houses and buildings around Stockholm, especially in Södermalm |
Theodore Roosevelt created Grand Canyon National Monument in 1908
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1909 |
Zion National park was established in 1909 as Mukuntuweap National Monument. It became Zion National Park in 1919. The name "Zion" means "place of refuge.” |
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French Riviera and Monaco Nice, Antibes, Marseilles, Martigues |
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Chamonix, Geneva |
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Nice |
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La Turbie, Menton, Nice |
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Venice |
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Meran, Welsberg |
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1911 |
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Menton |
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Thun |
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Wengen |
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Venice |
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Menton |
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1912 |
Two exhibits. Two works painted at the Riviera in France accepted in Paris Salon works acquired by King Gustave, Sweden and Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria City of Stockholm bought two paintings for city hall at the suggestion of Duchess Natalie of Oldenburg Exhibits paintings in a gallery in Leipzig |
Architect Mary Jane Colter designed Hermit’s Rest at Grand Canyon for the Fred Harvey Company. ![]() Anhulter Hütte mit Hornbachkette, 1912, Reproduction, illustration in the "Journal of the German and Austrian Alpine Club," 1912 Zeitschrift des Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein, Band XLIII, Jahrgang 1912, page 158. The Hornbach Range is in the Allgäu Alps in the Tyrol, Austria . Widforss referred to his painting being published in the journal in a letter to his mother dated September 11, 1912 from Lugano Switzerland. |
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Menton, Lucerne |
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Tyrol Illustration in the Journal of the German and Austrian Alpine Club , 1912 Zeitschrift des Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein, Band XLIII, Jahrgang 1912, page 158. Hornbach Range in the Allgäu Alps in the Tyrol, Austria . |
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Switzerland: Andermatt, Hospenthal, Lucerne, Lugano, Gandria |
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Rome, Capri, Naples |
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1913 |
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First solo exhibition at Hultberg’s Konsthandel in Stockholm including 8 paintings from Monaco and Cap Martin Sold about half of the works. Anders Zorn purchased a painting from Widforss Stockholm City Hall purchased two paintings, one of Skeppsbron and one of Södermalm Copenhagen |
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In Paris where he studied at the Academie Colarossi in Paris. Widforss’ mother visited for a time. |
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Stockholm, Grisslehamn |
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Exhibtion in Stockholm |
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1914 |
Architect Mary Jane Colter designed the Lookout Studio at Grand Canyon for the Fred Harvey Company. Article in Svenska Dagbladet, July 3, 1914, Widforss is working on the painting below |
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Arco, Austri |
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Lake Garda, Vienna, Schloss, Broyugan Hungary, Dresden |
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Stockholm |
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1915 |
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Stockholm |
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1916 |
Widforss does many paintings of street scenes and old buildings in Södermalm |
By 1916 the Interior Department was responsible for 14 national parks and 21 national monuments but had no organization to manage them. In 1916, the United States National Park Service was created and Stephen Mather appointed the first director. At this time, there were 9 national parks in Sweden.
![]() View of Gamla Stan from Södermalm, 1916, Watercolor on paper, 9 5/8 x 18 1/2 inches (24.5 x 47 cm) The skyline includes from left to right: Riddarholmskyrkan tower (tower 1835), Tyskakyrkan (the German Church, or St Gertrude's Church, 1571), Storkyrkan (Great Church, 13th c.), the Telephone Tower (1887), Klara Kyrka (1572), Sankt Jacobs Kyrka (Saint James's Church, 1588)
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Helsingør, Denmark |
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Uddevalla, Stockholm |
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1917 |
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Exhibition at Hultberg’s Konsthandelat in Stockholm, sold 37 works including Tyska Brunnen. |
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Utö, large island in the Stockholm archipelago. |
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1918 |
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Trip to northern Sweden and Norway Hålland undersåker, Storlien, Trondheim, Reine, Svolvaer, Abisko National Park, Ulfö |
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Visby |
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1919 |
Although United States Senate bills to establish Grand Canyon as a national park were introduced, but defeated, in 1910 and 1911, in 1919 the Grand Canyon National Park Act was finally signed by President Woodrow Wilson.
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Gorbio, France |
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Åre, Sweden |
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Trondheim |
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Grisselhamn, Rastaborgs, Ekerö |
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Gothenburg – London - Marseilles |
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Tunisia: Sfax, Nefta, Tozeur, Sousse, Kairouan |
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1920 |
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Tunisia: Kairouan, Tunis France: Martigues, St. Raphael, Menton, Castillion, Grasse |
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Italy: Nice, Ventimiglia, Genoa, Milan, Como, Corso, |
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Switzerland |
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Stockholm |
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Denmark Exhibit in Copenhagen |
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Skövde, Sweden |
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On December 15, Widforss sails for New York on the “Saxonia,” Cunard Line, from Gothenburg |
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1921 |
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Widforss arrives in New York after 17 day voyage Chicago Arrives in Los Angeles on January 11 and begins painting at Mt. Lowe on the 15th |
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Spends most of February in Avalon on Catalina Island, meets William Wriglet Jr. who buys several paintings Returns to Mt. Lowe to paint at the end of the month |
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Yosemite |
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Anne-Marie, his daughter born San Francisco, Pacific Grove |
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First of almost annual exhibitions at Gump’s in San Francisco Automobile trip around northern California with Albert (Bert) DeRome who is a business man and amateur painter who becomse a close friend and patron of Widforss |
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San Francisco Exhibits in the 1921 Carmel Arts and Crafts Club “Fall Exhibition of Small Paintings.” |
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Widforss pays the Sentinel Hotel in Yosemite 5 paintings a month to stay. Sells paintings for $50 each. He writes of his plans to make enough money to continue his planned journey to Japan, and then to return to California. |
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1922 |
Architect Mary Jane Colter designed the buildings for Phantom Ranch operated by the Fred Harvey Company at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. |
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Yosemite Exhibition at the Art Institute of Indianapolis |
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Painted for two weeks around Tuolomne Meadows. |
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Two-week mountain trip with Ansel Hall and E.A. Solinsky, to Mt. Lyell, Minarets, and Devil’s Post Pile, on a reconnaissance trip pertaining to extending Yosemite National Park to the east. |
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Widforss painted eight illustrations for Songs of Yosemite 8 color plates, originally published by Harold Symes in 1911 and re-published by Ansel Hall. Exhibit at the Stendahl Gallery in Los Angeles |
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1923 |
Got five views at Zion. After that I wished for a change. Found it in Grand Canyon. And, though I hundreds of times have heard about that place, it surpasses all imagination. I suppose you know it from the South Rim Nothing I ever saw has impressed me anything in comparison. Simply wonderful and I am sure that the future will give me opportunity to paint there so much I want. I started 3 different things from the same spot. Letter to Francis Farquahr
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Widforss purchases a 1920 Willys Overland Roadster. |
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Zion |
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Back in Yosemite First reference to Stephen Mather in a letter to his mother. Mather commissioned Widforss to do some paintings of Zion National Park. One of these was used in an article that Mather wrote for “The World’s Work,” published in May 1924. |
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Zion and Bryce |
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Widforss’ first visit to Grand Canyon. |
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Grand Canyon, North Rim, Widforss stayed at the Wylie Way camp, where he traded a painting in exchange for room and board. He would stay at the camp often in the future. |
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Zion National Park |
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Southern California, San Juan Capistrano |
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Monterey |
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1924 |
I like it better here every week…It nearly always is windy, very windy, which makes it kind of hard to work. Notwithstanding, I have done a whole lot and hope to do many more pictures before end of May. Have sold 2 and hope to get a commission of Fred Harvey to paint airplane view of Canyon. This canyon certainly is fascinating to paint. But – it is difficult – sometimes despairing. Have to keep at it, and by and by I suppose it will come alright… My Dear Sir: Early in the summer Mr. Stephen T. Mather, Director of the National Parks Service, asked me to come over and see some paintings of the Grand Canyon country, by Mr. G. Widforss. I found them to be very good indeed, quite equal to Moran's work in truth and skill. Mr. Mather wondered whether I could arrange an exhibit for the works and I now write to recommend approval of the idea. A couple of paintings from the North Rim will be more valuable for that purpose (DC exhibit) than a few more from Yellowstone. Saw Mather in Yellowstone. Gunnar Widforss letter to William Henry Holmes. |
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Exhibition at Hotel Oakland, Oakland |
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Grand Canyon. Stays at El Tovar. |
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Los Angeles Times Rotogravure section full page spread with pictures of Widforss' paintings |
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Zion National Park |
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Yellowstone National Park, met with Stephen Mather. First mention of exhibit that Stephen Mather was trying to arrange for W in Washington D.C. WIdforss mentions going to the North Rim, Grand Canyon, and that he had done 10 paintings in Yellowstone so far. Wylie Way Camp, Grand Canyon, North Rim, met with Stephen Mather there on August 30 |
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Los Angeles and Grand Canyon |
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One-man exhibition at the National Gallery of Art, |
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1925 |
Louis Sands and family from Glendale Arizona visited with Widforss as recorded in their scrapbook, 'Louis M. Sands purchased Gunnar Widforss' watercolor painting of the Redwoods from him where he was working at Schilling's Inn between Scotia and Garberville California on July 17, 1925. The painting Cost $100.00." Gunnar Widforss, the well-known painter, is making studies of the Redwoods in the Dyerville-Bull Creek region – has been staying at the Schnelling Hotel, McKee's, near Dyerville.
![]() Phantom Ranch, 1925, Watercolor on paper, 24 x 21 inches (61 x 53.3 cm). Painted on commission for The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway.
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Following his exhibition at the National Gallery of Art, Widforss donates his painting Patriarchs of Zion to the Smithsonian Museum. Philadelphia, New York City |
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Grand Canyon, Phantom Ranch |
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Northern California, Eureka and Dyerville to paint redwoods |
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Yosemite |
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Travel with Ansel Hall from Mesa Verde to California as part of the National Park Superintendent’s Auto Caravan Tour. |
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Exhibit at Gump’s, San Francisco |
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Yosemite |
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1926 |
Met the Prince, was in his company for two days. Mr. Mather had given him one of my Grand Canyon pictures, while they were there. Good for me I think. When Mr. Mather asked the price of the picture (at G.C. he had said he was going to deal with me directly) I only asked $100 for a $250 picture. That seemed fine, and Mr. Mather said he was going to tell the prince that I had joined in the gift. |
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Yosemite Exhibition “Paintings and Sculpture by Scandinavian American Artists.” Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, NY. January 30, 1926 – March 2,1926. Exhibition with Ferdinand Burgdorf, Canyon and Desert Paintings, at Stendahl Gallery, Los Angeles. Grand Canyon where Widforss met Crown Prince Gustavus during his visit there. Yosemite Served as the interpreter for Crown Prince Gustavus during his visit to Yosemite National Park. |
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Asilomar |
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Palm Springs and Indio |
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1927 |
The Ahwahnee Hotel opened in Yosemite Valley Mr. Tressidor (they call him Doctor now, which is as it ought to be) had me for lunch and I got a commission to paint several interiors and, at least, one exterior of the new hotel. Very kind of Dr. T. to let me wait until the fall coloring is over. And so, I will have to stay here all November too.
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Asilomar |
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Exhibit at Gump’s, San Francisco |
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Grand Canyon |
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Taos, Mesa Verde National Park |
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Indio |
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New York City, Yosemite |
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California Watercolor Society exhibition at Los Angeles County Museum, Monterey Cypress was noted, also, From Taos |
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1928 |
Visit to Sweden |
Bryce Canyon National Park created. I’m currently in Oakland and painting harbor views, old houses and boats. Grace Watkins (art gallery manager at the El Tovar Hotel) received a “big box of candy from Widforss” for Christmas, letter from Grace Watkins to her mother
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Exhibit at Gump’s, San Francisco First prize - “Paintings and Sculpture by Scandinavian American Artists.” Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, NY. April 9, 1928 – May 7,1928, exhibited Pines at Monterey, and Wind-shaped Trees Grand Canyon |
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Northern California and Bishop, CA |
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Indio, Sacramento, CA California Watercolor Society exhibition in Los Angeles, first prize for Sierra, also exhibited Cathedral Rock, Yosemite |
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Oakland, Asilomar |
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1929 |
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January |
Exhibition in Tucson, AZ |
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February |
Phoenix, AZ, exhibition at the Westward Ho Hotel |
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March |
Grand Canyon Exhibit at Gump’s, San Francisco |
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April |
Exhibition in Los Angeles, Greenwich Village Studio-Gallery, Hollywood |
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May |
Grand Canyon |
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June |
Redwoods, Scotia, CA Naturalized U.S. citizenship at San Francisco Annual Exhibition of the California Watercolor Society at the Oakland Art Gallery |
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July |
Los Angeles |
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September - October |
Grand Canyon, North and South Rims Trip to Monument Valley with Mike Harrison Cameron, Tuba City, “stayed about a week with the Wetherills” at Wetherill-Colville Guest Ranch, Kayenta, “stayed at Gouldings Trading Post almost a week” with Mike and Harry Goulding 1929 California Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition, Oakland Art Gallery. |
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December |
Phoenix, and Mesa, AZ |
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1930 |
![]() Grand Canyon, 1930, Watercolor, 18 x 26 inches (45.7 x 66 cm), photograph from the artist's scrapbook
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January |
Phoenix, and Mesa, AZ |
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February - March |
Grand Canyon Los Angeles, departs for a visit to Sweden |
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May - August |
Visit to family in Sweden and Europe Holland, Munich, Florence, Zürich, Venice, Gothenburg |
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September |
London - Return to United States Third prize - California State Fair |
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October - November |
Grand Canyon, Phantom Ranch |
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December |
Phoenix |
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1931 |
Today I expect to finish my first picture from here [the North Rim]. However, one or two more canyon pictures will probably be all – until I see that they sell. Because there are most wonderful groups of aspens here. And they fascinate me much more than the Canyon, letter to Mike Harrison
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January |
Indio |
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February - December |
Grand Canyon, South Rim and South Rim
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1932 |
Working on a painting for advertising the Watchtower, which is under construction, letter to Mike Harrison. Grand Canyon seems to have become my home. If I can live many years yet, and if I can ever again be okay, perhaps one day I may become famous as a painter of the Grand Canyon, and perhaps earn real money. It should go like that. Letter to Blenda Widforss.
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January – July |
Grand Canyon and Phantom Ranch Widforss’ right hand is injured when he is kicked by a mule on the Kaibab Trail while on his way to Phantom Ranch. Widforss camps in a tent cooking his own meals, meets his friends and plays cards in the evenings Wins first prize in the annual Arizona Artists’ and Craftsmen Exhibition at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff. For the second year in a row, he won first and second place awards from visitor votes. |
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August |
Crater Lake National Park |
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September |
Grand Canyon, North Rim |
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November |
Trip to Monument Valley with Ansel Hall. His friends have birthday party for Gunnar, and they played poker. |
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1933 |
Have been sick and unable to paint for a month, exhausted by a hike in the Canyon. Now feeling better and painting better than usual, Letter to Blenda Widforss
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January |
Phoenix Sells three Grand Canyon paintings to Mr. Westinghouse. |
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March - April |
Berkeley working on a mural for the National Park Service with George Collins for the Chicago Century of Progress International Exposition |
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May - September |
Grand Canyon Desert View Watchtower dedicated, May 13 |
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October - November |
Death Valley, Grand Canyon Lived with Santa Fe Railway mechanical engineer Elmer Nelson for a time |
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December |
Death Valley |
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1934 |
Architect Mary Jane Colter worked on designs for the Bright Angel Lodge at Grand Canyon for the Fred Harvey Company. The new lodge opened in June 1935. These parts have been honored by the visit of several artists and during the closing days of the month Zion almost resembled an art colony. Mr. V. Roth arrived on the 16th and is still with us, working with oils. He turns out a canvas at an amazing speed, and considering the rate of production, of good quality. A group of California artists arrived on the 22nd, consisting of A.W. Best of Oakland, H.C. Best of Yosemite, and a Mr. Teague of Oakland. Mr. Gunnar Widforss, noted Grand Canyon painter, arrived on the 28th for a stay of about 2 weeks. |
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January |
Death Valley Back in Arizona, Widforss begins work on 8 watercolors for the Arizona PWAP, including the Salt River Valley and Grand Canyon. |
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February - March |
Phoenix |
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April - August |
Grand Canyon |
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September |
Zion |
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October |
Grand Canyon |
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November |
Arranged by his close friend Bishop William Scarlett, Widforss has a major exhibition at the Noonan-Kocian Gallery in St. Louis Widforss is hospitalized for his heart condition for five days in St. Louis On November 30th, upon his return to the South Rim, Widforss suffers a heart attack near the El Tovar hotel and dies |
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