William Herbert Dunton
William Herbert Dunton was born on August 28, 1878 in Augusta, Maine. He grew up drawing and spending time outdoors with his grandfather, and at the age of sixteen, quit school to be a full-time illustrator; he'd had wildlife illustrations published in local Maine newspapers as well as in the Boston Globe by the age of twelve, and by fourteen, Dunton was writing and illustrating his own column in the sportsman's magazine Recreation. Dunton would use his illustration jobs as a way to finance his summer trips to the Western United States.
Mostly self-taught, he took classes at Cowles Art School in Boston and at the Art Students League in New York where he was instructed by Joseph De Camp and Ernest Blumenschein. It was Blumenschein who invited Dunton to Taos, New Mexico. In 1912, Dunton established a studio there and was one of the founding members of the Taos Society of Artists. Dunton did illustration work for numerous magazines and books, including several Zane Grey covers. In addition to illustration work, Dunton also executed lithographs of animals.
Dunton married Nellie Hartley in Boston in 1900 and they had two children. In 1921, Dunton moved permanently to Taos, New Mexico. In 1922, he resigned as a member from the Taos Society of Artists, though he continued his involvement with the group. Dunton experienced success as an illustrator and painter known for his depictions of the 'old West,' which was fast disappearing as Eastern settlers moved in. He lamented the vanishing frontier and his paintings reflect the nostalgia for the forgotten hero and uncharted territory.
A member of the Salmagundi Club, an artist organization in New York City, Dunton had many prestigious clients including John D. Rockefeller, Teddy Roosevelt, and Douglas Fairbanks. Sadly, Dunton was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1935 and died on March 18, 1936 in Taos, New Mexico.
Dunton's works are recognized in many museums and private collections, such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Buffalo Bill Historical Society in Cody, Wyoming, the Museum of New Mexico, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art.
