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DEAN LARSON

Larson’s loose, painterly approach is popular with both corporate portraits and private collectors. In some portraits, the background is left uncomplicated to draw attention to the subject.  An environment is added, in others, to give the viewer more information about the subject. In either case, there is a beautiful light that illuminates the subject.

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After a brief meeting, Larson will take photos that can be used for reference in his studio. He prefers a minimum of two sittings—for two hours each—however, he will paint a portrait entirely from the photographs he takes. Larson also likes to paint children's portraits.  The average portrait is finished in three to four months.  He is pleased to travel to the subject.

Dean Larson, raised in Palmer, Alaska, pursued his higher education at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. After completing his undergraduate studies, he went on to attend art school and earned an M.Ed. in Art Education in Baltimore, Maryland. Currently a resident of San Francisco, Larson has been a significant figure in the resurgence of the American Realist Movement. He has authored books, been featured in numerous art periodicals, mounted over twenty solo gallery exhibitions and participated in more than fifty group shows in museums and galleries across the United States. 

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A well-traveled artist, Larson thrives on diversity and is perpetually in search of new subjects. His expertise spans portraits, landscapes, interiors and cityscapes. By employing compelling compositions that often feature reflective, glistening light, he successfully draws viewers into his canvases.

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Larson’s commissioned portraits and studio paintings are housed in museums and various public collections in both the United States and Europe. He teaches two days a week at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and maintains a studio near Mission Dolores, San Francisco. 

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Notably, Larson painted the portrait of former Senator Mark O. Hatfield of Oregon, and in 2019, he completed the official portrait of the late Senator Ted Stevens, former President Pro Tempore, for the Senate Portrait Collection in the United States Capitol, Washington, DC. In 2020, the National Portrait Gallery acquired two of Larson’s portraits for their permanent collection.

SELECTED COLLECTIONS & COMMISSIONS

 

American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, PA
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC

Prime Minister of Italy
Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore, MD
Senator Mark O. Hatfield

Senator Ted Stevens, US Congress

Senate Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC

Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Philadelphia

 

Numerous private commissions

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