biography of Edwin DEAKIN (1838-1923)

Birth place: Sheffield, England

Death place: Berkeley, CA

Addresses: Chicago, IL; San Francisco, CA, 1870

Profession: Landscape and still life painter

Exhibited: San Francisco AA; Mechanics' Inst. Fairs; Paris Salon

Member: Bohemian Club

Work: Calif. Hist. Soc.; de Young Mus.; San Francisco MFA; LACMA; Oakland Mus.; Soc. of Calif. Pioneers; Sierra Nevada Mus., Reno

Comments: Deakin had already established a career as an architectural painter, but when he immigrated to Chicago in 1856 he painted portraits and hand-colored photographic portraits. About 1866 he dedicated himself to landscape painting. In 1870, when he moved to San Francisco, he shared a studio with Samuel M. Brookes (see entry), the leading still-life painter on the west coast at the time. From 1877-79, he traveled in Europe. In the early 1880s he lived in Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Denver and Salt Lake City. During this time he began to paint still lifes of fruits and flowers. In 1891 he settled in Berkeley and painted there until his death. In addition to his specialty in still lifes, he painted at least 21 portraits of California"s old Spanish missions.

Sources: Hughes, Artists of California, 137-38; For Beauty and for Truth, 41 (w/repro.)