SAMUEL MARSDEN BROOKES (1816-1892)

The son of a botanist, Samuel Marsden Brookes was born in Middlesex, England, in 1816 before moving with his family to Chicago in 1833. There he studied with itinerant artists, which served as his only form of artistic instruction. After living in England from 1845-46, Brookes worked in Chicago and Milwaukee before relocating permanently to San Francisco in 1860. Once in California, Brookes realized national recognition for his still lifes, which featured varied intricate arrangements of fruit or fish. In addition to being a successful practicing artist, Brookes founded the California Art Union in 1865 and managed the San Francisco Artists’ Union. Brookes’ works can be found in the Brooklyn Museum, the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California, and the Monterey Museum of Art, California.