Oscar Jacobson (1882 to 1966)
Oscar Jacobson was an important early art figure in Oklahoma. A student of Birger Sandzen, he graduated from Bethany College in Linsborg, Kansas, in 1908. He subsequently studied at the Louvre in Paris and took his graduate study at Yale University. From 1915 to 1945, he was head of the art department at the University of Oklahoma. In 1916, with Nan Sheets he organized the Association of Oklahoma Artists. He also assisted the WPA and Treasury Art Project as a technical advisor through the depression years. His work promoting Indian artists brought him international recognition with the recognition of Kiowa Indian Art, specifically the art of the so called “Kiowa Five.” His paintings were characterized by a stylization which was quite avant garde for its day. He was also known for his innovative use of color.
Information courtesy of Heritage Auction Galleries, December 2007