George Oberteuffer

Artist Biography

Born in Philadelphia, George Oberteuffer is best remembered for his impressionist landscapes and city scenes. After attending Princeton University, Oberteuffer studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts under William Merritt Chase and Thomas Anshutz, and later earned a graduate degree from the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1905, the young artist travelled to France, where he would spend the next nineteen years living, studying, and working, primarily in Paris. While studying at the Académie Julian, Oberteuffer met French artist Henriette Amiard, and the two soon married. Oberteuffer quickly became an active member of the Paris art world, elected Sociétaire du Salon d’Automne in 1908 and Sociétaire du Salon des Indépendants the following year. He also taught at the historic Académie de la Chaumière. However, during this extended sojourn, Oberteuffer maintained his connection to the United States by working as an advisor for students of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Europe. He combined the academic principles of composition he learned early on in his training with the impressionist technique of painting en plein air, capturing the French scenery with vibrant colors and textural brushstrokes.

After surviving World War I in Paris, Oberteuffer returned to the United States with his family and began teaching at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He continued to teach at a variety of schools across the country, including the Wisconsin School of Art in Milwaukee, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Grand Central School of Art in New York. He painted numerous landscapes and city scenes throughout his travels, as well as portraits. His work was shown in several joint exhibitions alongside his wife, including at the Knoedler Gallery in 1920 and the Art Institute of Chicago in 1925. In 1937, he was elected an associate member at the National Academy of Design and became a full member the next year. Today, Oberteuffer’s works are found in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum and Milwaukee Art Museum.

Read Less

Contact Us About This Artist





    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

      Go To Top