George Gardner Symons 1863-1930

George Gardner Symons was born George Gardner Simon in Chicago in 1866.  He changed his name to Symons after studying in England, due to concern about anti-semitism.   There is little information about his early life.  He first studied at the Chicago Art Institute, where he met his lifelong friend William Wendt.  Further study followed in Paris, Munich, and London.  While abroad, he learned the plein-air technique that he would use for the rest of his career.  

Upon his return from Europe, he worked as a commercial artist in Chicago.  Then in 1903 he traveled to California with Wendt; they built a studio in Laguna Beach and became active in such art societies as the California Art Club.  Symons divided his time between his studio out West and his studio in Brooklyn; he also painted frequently in Colerain, Massachusetts.  

Symons painted entirely outdoors, and the climate in the West was most conducive to his plein-air technique.  He frequently worked in Arizona, painting desert landscapes and views of the Grand Canyon.  Yet, he is most renowned for the snow scenes he painted in New England, particularly the Berkshires.  

Symons’ work can be found in the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Fleischer Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona.  He was a member of the National Academy of Design, the National Arts Club, the Institute of Arts and Letters, and Salmagundi Club.