Walter Farndon

American (1876-1964)

A plein-air painter of the late 19th and early 20th century, Walter Farndon, was born in Coventry, England, immigrating to the United States at the age of 11.  Farndon attended the National Academy of Design, where he worked under Edgar M. Ward, and the Mechanic’s Institute, where he earned a degree in architectural drafting in 1912.

In 1897, along with Jonas Lie and Ivan Gregorewitch Olinsky, Farndon formed the Country Sketch Club in New Jersey.  Farndon exhibited extensively during his lifetime, with pieces featured at The Art Institute of Chicago, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the National Academy of Design.  He was awarded many prizes by the National Arts Club and Salmagundi Club, and earned full membership in the prestigious National Academy in 1937.  Farndon regularly painted on Monhegan Island during the latter half of his career.

Farndon’s works are included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the National Academy of Design.