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Artist Arthur Garfield Learned
A Life Dedicated to His Gift
Arthur Garfield Learned (1872-1959), was born in Chelsea, MA. He attended art schools in Munich and Vienna for two years and studied etching in Paris from 1907 to 1908. While he always had the love and talent for art, it was these experiences that led him to become a much sought after portrait artist and illustrator.
It was in 1900 that he married the love of his life, Leila Helen Sprague. Together they had one son, Bruce. Arthur began his career on the art staff of the Boston Herald illustrating various projects and novels. In 1906, he and Mrs. Learned produced their own gift book, Adam's Sons, a compilation of sayings about men, following a similar book about women called Eve's daughters, which he illustrated for Dana Estes.
Over the years, he had many exhibited portraits like that of naturalist John Burroughs and author Ella Wheeler Wilcox. His etchings included those of Edgar Allan Poe, Edvard Grieg, and John Alexander are in many collections, including that of the Congressional Library of Congress. His oil portrait of the Panchen Lama hangs in the Jacques Marchais Tibetan Library. Another of his oil portraits of Dr. George Washington Carver was shown at the Ferargil Gallery in New York. His original concepts of the Buddha and of St. Francis are in private homes along with his symbolic drawings of esoteric spiritual realities.
Gallery: Arthur Learned artwork
The Christward Ministry is very pleased to have seven original works from Mr. Learned, which came in the final decade of His life. These include the glorious portrait of our Lord Christ, as well as other Great Ones that form a Hierarchy of Perfected Ones working together to lift all life Godward. These portraits can be found in the Master's Temple.
Arthur and his wife were married for 59 years. Leila was a writer herself and using oral interpretation and poetry, expressed her art through words. These two shared a rich sense of humor and rare integrity that won friends wherever they went, including here in southern California.
