William de Leftwich Dodge

1867-1935

William de Leftwich Dodge was an American muralist whose heroic neoclassical works adorned major public buildings at the height of the mural's popularity as democratic art. Born in Virginia in 1867, he spent his formative years in France studying under Jean-Léon Gérôme and at the École des Beaux Arts, where he won first place in the 1881 examinations. His breakthrough came with a major mural for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, followed by commissions for the Library of Congress in 1895. Settling in New York, Dodge taught at the Art Students League and Cooper Union while receiving commissions from hotels, theaters, and government buildings nationwide. His murals for Buffalo City Hall and the New York State Capitol exemplified his ability to create monumental historical narratives. In his easel paintings, he explored Impressionism and Fauvism, and late in his career turned toward Mayan art. He died in Manhattan in 1935.