Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel

Born to an English mother who was also herself a painter, American Impressionist Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel studied art under William Merritt Chase at the Art Institute of Chicago. She was an educator in public schools as well as her alma mater, but eventually headed for California to study under William Keith and Elmer Wachtel. Elmer would become her husband in 1904. While living further east she focused primarily on figures and portraiture, but we can assume that after experiencing the impressive landscapes on the west coast, she switched subjects and began painting landscapes of California and the Southwest. She was passionate about watercolor as her preferred media, and was a member of the New York Watercolor Society. After Elmer's death, she began also painting with oils. During her lifetime, her work was widely appreciated, coast to coast.