George W. Platt

Born in Pennsylvania in 1839, George W. Platt was an American painter known for his still lifes and trompe l’oeil works. Platt was educated at the University of Rochester and, in 1867, accompanied John Wesley Powell (1834–1902) on his Geological Survey and Exploration expedition as a survey artist. Following his excursions in the West, Platt studied at the Pennsylvania Academy, where he was influenced by the distinctive work of Philadelphia-based trompe l’oeil painters William Harnett (1848–1892) and John Peto (1854–1907). He later continued his studies in Munich and Italy. Platt moved to Chicago in the 1880s and opened his first studio there in 1881. In the 1890s, he became an instructor at the University of Denver and relocated to Colorado. During this period, his work increasingly reflected Western subjects, including animal skulls, firearms, riding gear, and lush garden blooms. Platt died in Denver in 1899. Today, his work is held in the collections of the New Britain Museum of American Art, the American Museum of Western Art, and the Denver Art Museum, among other institutions.