Artist Profile

George Hurrell

1904–1992

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, George Hurrell studied painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Learning to photograph his paintings spurred an interest in photography as a medium. In 1924 he became friends with Laguna Beach artist Edgar Payne and his wife, Elsie Palmer Payne, who were spending several months in Chicago after returning from a long European sojourn. The following spring, the Paynes motored back to California accompanied by Hurrell. After a short time in Los Angeles, Hurrell moved to Laguna Beach, living for a time in the cottage called “The Paint Box.” He became part of the art community and developed close friendships with artists William Wendt and William Griffith. He began photographing the leading artists of the Laguna Beach Art Association, including Griffith and Wendt, Anna Hills, Thomas Hunt, and Frank Cuprien.

It was in Laguna Beach that Hurrell met Florence “Pancho” Barnes, who, in turn, introduced him to silent movie star Ramon Novarro. Hurrell’s photographs of Barnes and Novarro caught the attention of Hollywood, and he moved there in 1927. By 1930 he was the head of the MGM portrait gallery. He was soon dubbed the “Grand Seigneur of the Hollywood Portrait.” He established his own studio on the Sunset Strip and later worked for Warner Bros.

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George Hurrell

Works in Our Collection

Walt Disney

Edgar Payne

William Wendt

Millard Sheets

Untitled nude in shadow (Gigi Parrish)

Loretta Young and Tyrone Power

Katharine Hepburn

Rita Hayworth

Jean Harlow

Clark Gable

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