George W. Platt

George W. Platt, born in Rochester, New York, was the son of a framer. He studied at the University of Rochester before setting off with geologist George Wesley Powell (1834-1902) to explore and document the American West. When he returned, he enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he became interested in still life and trompe l'oeil painting. Though trompe l'oeil painting was criticized as "gimmicky" and was considered a lower form of art appropriate only for decorating businesses and taverns, Platt became successful and well respected for his work, especially in the West. He settled in Colorado, where he taught at the University of Denver and painted subjects with Western themes.