Arches, California Mission

(1860-1935) Born in Oslo, Norway in 1860, Jorgensen moved to San Francisco with his mother in 1870. He showed artistic promise at an early age and when the School of Design opened in 1874, he was among the first to enroll. At 14 he was greatly influenced by Virgil Williams who was both teacher and father figure. Jorgensen later became an instructor at the School of Design and served as assistant director from 1881-1883. He then established a studio at 131 Post Street where he continued teaching and by the mid-1880’s was a successful landscape painter. For five years he and his wife, Angela, traveled by horse and buggy to the sites of the 21 California missions and during this period produced 80 watercolor studies of the missions and a complete set of oils. In 1899 he pitched a tent in Yosemite and after several months, obtained a permit to build a studio-home there and continued painting there during the warm months for 19 years. His home in Yosemite is now used as headquarters for the government rangers. In 1905 he built a boulder home in Carmel (this later became the Hotel La Playa). Most of his time was spent at the family home in Piedmont. The Jorgensens made trips to Italy, Mexico, the Grand Canyon, and New England. Jorgensen enjoyed a long career and continued painting until his death in Piedmont in 1935. Works held: California Historical Society, Bohemian Club; Athletic Club; Sonoma Mission; Yosemite Museum; Society of California Pioneers.