biography of Paul LAURITZ (1889-1975)

Birth place: Larvik, Norway

Death place: Los Angeles, CA

Addresses: Canada; Oregon; Alaska; Los Angeles, CA, 1919-75

Profession: Painter

Studied: self-taught.

Exhibited: CI; AIC; BM; PAFA; CGA; SFMA; Calif. State Expo., 1920 (prize), 1922 (prize)-23 (prize), 1924 (prize), 1926 (prize), 1934 (prize), 1939 (prize), 1940 (prize); San Diego FA Soc., 1928 (prize); Long Beach, CA, 1928 (prize); Pasadena AI, 1928 (prize); Santa Cruz, 1929 (prize); Pomona State Expo., 1930 (prize); Palos Verdes, 1931 (prize); Springville, UT, 1932 (prize)-33 (prize); Clearwater, CA, 1935 (prize); Los Angeles Ebell Cl., 1936 (prize), 1943 (prize), 1960; Acad. Western Painters, 1936 (prize); LACMA, 1920, 1932, 1940 (prize), 1943 (prize); Calif. AC, 1940 (prize), 1946 (prize); Santa Paula, 1942 (prize); CPLH, 1942 (prize), 1945 (prize); Oakland Art Gal., 1932, 1943 (med.), 1944 (med.); GGE, 1939 (prize); Cedar City, Utah, 1962 (purchase award); Sacramento Expos, 1962 & 1964.

Member: Laguna Beach AA; SC; Los Angeles PS; Western Acad.; Soc. Western Artists; Calif. AC; Royal Soc. Arts.

Work: Hollywood Athletic Cl.; Laguna Mus.; Pasadena Art Inst.; Santa Cruz Art Gal.; Springville, UT, Mus. of Art; Vanderpoel Coll.; Univ. Chicago; San Diego Fine Arts Gal.; Joslyn Mus. Art, Omaha, NE; Los Angeles City Col.; Ebell Cl., Los Angeles; Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce; priv. colls.

Comments: Lauritz worked as a commercial artist in Vancouver and Portland Oregon, where he also began painting landscapes and portraits. Lured to Alaska by the Gold Rush, he became friends with Sydney Laurence (see entry), but left to settle in Los Angeles. From there he took painting excursions to the Sierra, along the coast, to Mexico and Norway. The King of Norway commissioned him to do a painting for the royal palace. Position: teacher, Chouinard Art Sch., Otis Art Inst.

Sources: WW73; WW47. More recently, see Hughes, Artists in California, 326-327; P&H Samuels, 280, report that Lauritz was still living in 1976.

Legals