Paul Cadmus

Paul Cadmus was born in New York City on December 17, 1904 and lived and worked in New York City. He came from an artistic family. His father was a lithographer who painted in a modest way; his mother did illustrations for children’s books; his sister was a designer. He studied at the National Academy of Design from 1919 to 1926 and at the Art Students League with illustrator Joseph Pennell and painter, Kenneth Hayes Miller. Under Miller he learned revived Renaissance composition such as perspective and chiaroscuro as well as egg tempera painting techniques.

From 1931 to 1933, he lived in Italy and traveled extensively in Europe, especially Spain, and was inspired to become a superb craftsman. He has also done mural work for the Works Progress Administration, many crayon and chalk drawings and worked in silver point and casein on hand-toned papers. He maintained a studio in Weston, Connecticut and lived into his 90s.