Frederick Schafer Morning on Silver Lake

(1839-1927) Born in Germany on August 16, 1839, Schafer was active in Northern California after 1878. He maintained a studio in San Francisco where he exhibited regularly with the San Francisco Art Association and the Mechanics’ Institute Fairs. A self-taught and itinerant painter, he made regular sketching trips throughout the Northwest including Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. During his last years he supplemented his income as a painter of theatrical scenery in San Francisco and Oakland theaters. He was listed in the Oakland City Directory from 1905 until his death on July 17, 1927. The bulk of his work was done before 1890; his later works are lighter and more impressionistic in style. His landscapes which he signed both Schafer and Schaffer, often include Indians. Works held: Seattle Museum; Shasta State Historical Monument; Bancroft Library; California Historical Society; Oakland Museum; Los Angeles County Museum of Art.