Ogden Pleissner

Ogden Pleissner (1905–1983) was an American painter celebrated for his landscapes, sporting scenes, and depictions of the American West and New England. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Pleissner’s early exposure to art came through a childhood gift of a paintbox, which sparked a lifelong passion for painting. Summers spent in Wyoming fostered his love of the outdoors, fishing, and sketching the Western landscape.

Pleissner studied at the Art Students League of New York under Frank DuMond from 1922 to 1926 and later taught at the Pratt Institute. In the 1930s, he gained recognition for his oil paintings of the Maritimes, New England, and Western landscapes, earning the Second Hallgarten Prize from the National Academy of Design in 1938 for South Pass City (Wyoming Ghost Town).

During World War II, Pleissner served as a U.S. Air Force captain and war artist in the Aleutian Islands, where he primarily worked in watercolors due to the challenging climate. He later accepted a commission from Life magazine as a war correspondent. After the war, he continued to travel and paint, creating works that ranged from European cityscapes to sporting and rural scenes. Pleissner also contributed to the art world as director and trustee of the Tiffany Foundation. His work is distinguished by precise draftsmanship, atmospheric light, and a keen sense of place, making him one of the most respected American painters of the 20th century.