George Phippen
1915 - 1966
George Phippen was a self-taught artist who is now recognized as a cowboy artist of unusual talent. His drawings and oil paintings are remarkable for their fine draftsmanship, and his bronze sculptures are distinguished by their power of execution, their sense of movement, and their subtle humor.
Born in Iowa in 1916, George Phippen moved to Kansas early in his childhood and was raised on old timers’ stories. He would attempt to sketch or model from his vivid recollection of these stories. In 1947, he made his home and studio in Prescott, Arizona, later establishing another studio in Skull Valley.
In 1952 his fame began at Brown & Bigelow, producers of calendars. Initially fifteen of his paintings were reproduced. The company kept the reproduction rights to 60 works of Phippen, selling the originals later to private collectors across the country.
Phippen was a successful commercial artist and illustrator. He was commissioned in 1962 to do the art work for The Alamo, a movie produced by John Wayne. Among his other activities, he founded Bear Paw Bronze Works in 1965 and was one of the four founding members of the Cowboy Artists of America, which he served as first president. He died in 1966, in Prescott, Arizona.
