Artist

Paul E. Barr

Nationality

American

Artist Dates

1892-1953

Breaks of the Little Missouri

Preview

Date of Work

1937

Medium

Oil on canvas

Signature

Lower left

Height

23 1/2"

Width

35 1/2"

Collection/Provenance

Art & Design Study Collection

Status

On display: Third floor

Location

Memorial Union

Artist Bio

Paul E. Barr, an accomplished painter, was the first Chair of UND’s Art Department—a position he held for over a quarter century. Born in Tipton County, Indiana, Barr studied art in the United States and France. During his career in art, he painted scenes in over ten countries and wrote about art. He co-authored a textbook with Eugene E. Myers, Creative Lettering, and independently wrote an early study on regional art history, North Dakota Artists, published posthumously in 1954.

Additional Information

Student composed text panel:

Paul E. Barr (American, 1892-1953)
Breaks of the Little Missouri, 1937
Oil on canvas
UND Art Collections: Art & Design Study Collection

Paul E. Barr was born in Tipton County, Indiana. In his early years, he studied art not just in the United States, but in France as well. Over the years, Barr has painted many scenes around the world. He also wrote and co-authored books. North Dakota Artists, one of the books Paul wrote himself was published in 1954. It focused on regional art history. The textbook, Creative Lettering, is the textbook he co-authored with Eugene E. Myers. UND named Barr the first Chair of the Art Department in 1928. It was a position he held for many years.

Breaks of the Little Missouri pictures a mountainous landscape. The piece itself incorporates the soft colors of red, green, and purple. This piece was selected specifically for this floor because of the peace and tranquility it extrudes. This painting also pays homage to North Dakota itself, perhaps bringing a sense of comfort to those who consider North Dakota home.

Purple, green and red mountainous landscape.

Condition

Good, scuffed in lower left corner

Rights

Images are provided for educational purposes only and may not be reproduced for commercial use. Images may be protected by artist copyright. A credit line is required to be used for any public non-commercial educational purpose. The credit line must include, “Image courtesy of the University of North Dakota.”