SOLD WORKS
Frederick Ferdinand Schafer was born in Germany on August 16, 1839, but became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1884. He was a painter of landscapes and Native scenes. Most of his works were executed prior to 1890 and his later works were more impressionistic in style.
Schafer’s art training remains unknown; it is possible that he was self-taught. He was mostly active in Northern California after 1878 and had a studio in San Francisco where he was a member of the San Francisco Art Association in 1880 and 1889. His works were often exhibited at the San Francisco Art Association and Mechanics’ Institute Fairs. The artist made sketching trips throughout the Northwest, including Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
Later on in his life, Schafer got involved with the painting of theatrical scenery in San Francisco and Oakland. Sixty of the artist’s paintings are listed in the Smithsonian inventory. He signed his landscapes both Schafer and Schaeffer, but seldom dated his work.