Edgar Samuel Paxson (1852-1919)
Edgar Samuel Paxson was born in East Hamburgh, New York, the son of a sign painter. His fascination with the American West, in part inspired by the novels of James Fenimore Cooper, urged him westward, and he arrived in Montana one year after Little Big Horn. He served in the Spanish-American War, but after the war, and without any formal training, he turned to painting to earn a living. His interest in the American West and its history is evident in his paintings. He executed murals for the Missoula County Courthouse and the Montana state capitol. His best-known mural is his depiction of Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn.
Information courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions Inc.