189:, to study art. Grell's first two years were spent refining his understanding of the German language. He then began a three-year study of the fundamentals of painting in Altona, Germany. Soon after, he was accepted to the prestigious School of Applied Arts in Hamburg, where young student Grell and Professor Switz earned commissions together to paint murals inside the famous Hamburg Boathouse (the great meeting place for all of Northern Germany), Hamburg Music Hall and elaborate paintings for the home of Germany's wealthiest man, "Budge, the Turpentine King". Grell's work at the Academy would earn him praise in 1906 at the Third German Arts & Crafts Exhibition in Dresden.
540:
525:
495:
234:
510:
343:
Gateway
Theatre Chicago IL, Congress Plaza Hotel Chicago IL three separate series of commissions in 1940 1952 & 1955, Hotel Lafontaine Huntington IN eight panels, Bank of Detroit History of Banking panels, Bank of New York lobby murals, Sacred Heart Chicago, Rotary Club (#1) of Chicago Board room wall panel, St. Mary's Academy Chicago IL, Aragon Ballroom Grand stairway Spanish dance mural Chicago IL, Mark Twain, Fountain Square and Jefferson Hotel's in St. Louis Mo and Union Station WW II ticket counter mural St. Louis MO.
555:
352:
242:
Emigration Canon. The mural was commissioned for the
Manufacturers Hall exhibit in downtown Salt Lake City under preparations for the Utah State Fair of 1907. Grell won top prize at the fair and earned numerous other commissions while in Salt Lake City from August to November. Grell hired two assistants and took three months to finish the paintings. One large work eventually ended up on exhibit in San Francisco in the fall of 1907.
246:
his first
American artistic position as a stage set designer for large Broadway productions in New York City in 1915. By early fall of 1916, the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts offered Grell a position as art instructor. Grell family archives, specifically a postcard sent to family by Grell (personal communication #1, October 28, 1916), show Grell as rooming with fellow Munich artist and friend E. Martin Hennings in studio #14 at the
31:
458:
Chicago, Toledo
Paramount Theatre, 14 large French Fairytale murals painted in 1920 for the new Balaban & Katz Theater giant to adorn the proscenium arch inside the Chicago Theater and again 14 large Greek and Roman themed murals painted in 1932 for the "Century of Progress" renovation inside the
285:
and would remain until 1934 when Grell would embark on a solo career as a portrait and mural painter. Grell exhibited 25 times at the Art
Institute of Chicago from 1917 until 1941 winning top honors. Grell won the coveted Harry Frank prize for figure composition in 1930 with his large painting titled
269:
Grell would later recount the Walt Disney days to family members as Walt Disney's fame grew, but never talked about this outside the family. Recent Grell Family archives uncovered aided in proving this claim, but the real help came in the summer of 2012, when Dianne Disney Miller, eldest daughter of
342:
Noted large-scale mural commissions earned by Grell include
Paramount Pictures Corporate Headquarters Times Square Paramount Theatre New York City, Citizens National Bank New York City, Eldorado Hotel New York City, Toledo Paramount Theatre, Ft. Wayne IN Paramount Theatre, Denver Paramount Theatre,
245:
Upon completion of his extended stay in the US, Grell returned to
Germany, this time enrolling in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in March 1908 where he remained until 1910. When America's involvement in World War I became certain, Grell was forced to escape Europe in 1914 through Norway and landed
302:
architects, the Albert Pick Hotel chain, Daprato
Statuary Company, Publix Theaters, Paramount and Universal Studios. Grell was primarily a portrait and mural painter, but the Grell Family collection and other known works include a vast array of mural studies, portraits, landscapes and still life
241:
In May 1907, after Grell had completed his art training in
Hamburg, he returned to America to visit family in Council Bluffs, Iowa. At the age of 19, on a late summer family vacation to Salt Lake City, Utah, Grell took over a failed mural commission depicting the 1847 entry of the Mormons into
172:
from 1922 to 1934. Grell exhibited his works throughout Europe from 1905 to 1915, in San
Francisco in 1907, and in Chicago at the Art Institute 25 times from 1917 to 1941. He exhibited in New York in 1915 and 1916 and in Philadelphia and Washington DC. Primarily an allegorical and figurative
286:"Destiny" at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Municipal Art League prize for portraiture in 1936 for "Portrait of the Painter, Moessel" at the Art Institute of Chicago. Grell also exhibited heavily throughout Chicago and in New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Washington DC.
230:– a total of sixteen members are photographed attending Friday evening meetings at Club Glasl in Munich. Upon completion of his formal studies in Germany, Grell traveled Europe studying at major art centers, painting and exhibiting his works throughout Europe.
266:. In 1917, Elias Disney relocated his family back to Chicago where Walt Disney attended McKinley High School during the day and took art classes at night at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts under Grell in 1917 and 1918.
413:
In 1960, at the age of 72 and ailing from heart disease, Grell and fellow Tree Studio artist and resident Donald J. Anderson chained themselves to a "tree" to help prevent bulldozers from tearing down the historic
197:
For Grell, earning top student honors of 3,000 students from 1905 to 1907 at the School of Applied Arts in Hamburg meant the Hamburg School would sponsor him at the Royal Academie of Fine Arts in Munich, under
450:
won the Municipal Art League prize at the Art Institute of Chicago, in 1936. Grell's more significant works include; four large portraits of the first four US Presidents commissioned by the
671:
Illinois Board of Higher Education. (2012). Chicago Academy of Fine Arts Student Record Archives. State of Illinois. Springfield, IL: Berman, Harry J. letter dated November 12, 2012.
311:
in downtown Cincinnati; Assumption Catholic Church in Chicago; Palace Theater in Greensburg, PA; Manufactures Bank & Trust in St. Louis, MO now the
459:
Chicago Theater, 18 large murals throughout the Netherland Plaza Hotel (now a Hilton), Cincinnati, OH in 1930 (Who's Who in America artists file),
173:
composition muralist and portrait painter, his creative strokes adorn the ceilings and walls of numerous US National Historic Landmark buildings.
524:
605:
Carl Bohnen papers, 1888-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution and Grell Family archive photo of club signed by seven members
328:
262:
Grell was the main art instructor at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts from 1916 to 1922 where one of his students was animator and cartoonist,
434:
Grell died of a heart ailment while working on numerous mural projects and easel paintings at Tree Studios in Chicago on November 21, 1960.
907:
882:
539:
897:
471:
1935 oil on canvas exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago & Chicago Galleries Association (compared to Thomas Gainsborough),
109:
murals inside Chicago Theatre, Netherland Plaza Hotel, Northwestern Military Academy, Notre Dame de Chicago, Union Station St. Louis
902:
772:
Omaha World Herald, June 2, 1907 p. 33 M-5, July 16, 1907 p. 3, September 14, 1907 p. 3, November 14, 1907 p. 3
316:
867:
185:, to German emigrant meat market owners, and remained until the age of 12, when in May 1900, his parents decided to send him to
320:
282:
842:
810:
406:
Grell and other resident artists frequently entertained Hollywood and New York celebrities and aspiring young artists such as
494:
455:
254:
art colony in Chicago's near north side. Grell would live at Tree Studios in Chicago from 1917 until his death in 1960.
654:
271:
766:
Chicago Tribune, November 2, 1919 p. 5, November 24, 1929 p. H5, July 19, 1931 p. C8, April 29, 1934 p. D5,
820:
509:
415:
251:
153:
887:
872:
717:(1930). 34th Annual EXHIBITION BY ARTISTS OF CHICAGO AND VICINITY. The Art Institute of Chicago #78, reproduced.
763:
American Art News, December 8, 1917 vol 16 no. 9 p. 7 "Chicago" exhibits with Ufer, Hennings and others
554:
152:(November 30, 1887 – November 21, 1960) was an American figure composition and portrait artist based in the
247:
165:
164:. He received his formal training in Europe from 1900 through 1915 and later became art professor at the
892:
877:
836:
419:
703:
Mason, M. (May 26, 1991). "Painting the Town Jim Romano lives amidst Chicago artists of another age".
423:
726:(1936). 40th Annual EXHIBITION BY ARTISTS OF CHICAGO AND VICINITY. The Art Institute of Chicago #73.
214:). Grell also attended the University of Munich. While in Munich, Grell was a member of the famed
815:
278:
169:
364:
376:
581:
Louis Grell Foundation Collection, Ryerson and Burnham Archives, The Art Institute of Chicago.
30:
332:
312:
215:
335:; Peoples Church of Chicago; Pick-Ohio Hotel now Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority,
862:
857:
182:
8:
781:
Ryerson and Burnham Library, Art Institute of Chicago, Louis Grell collection 1918 - 1957
777:
The Daily Nonpareil, April 2, 1935 p. 7, April 29, 1941 p. 14, November 9, 1949
91:
School of Applied Arts Hamburg, Royal Akademie of Fine Arts, Munich, University of Munich
233:
680:
Ryerson and Burnham Library, Art Institute of Chicago, Louis Grell collection 1918-1957
591:"Council Bluffs Boy Heads The Long List of 3,000 Students For Three Years In Germany".
396:
368:
219:
830:
250:
in Chicago. Both artists would eventually relocate to their own studios in the famous
825:
360:
125:
Harry Frank prize Art Institute of Chicago 1930, Municipal Art League prize AIC 1936
407:
295:
186:
644:, vol 15, no 9, page 4, Walt Disney Family Museum, The Presidio, San Francisco, CA
451:
392:
324:
304:
199:
336:
227:
851:
388:
384:
380:
299:
203:
689:
Lister, Alwood. (1948, April). And now we want you to meet Mr. Louis Grell.
446:
won the 1930 Harry A. Frank Prize at the Art Institute of Chicago and his
372:
308:
263:
223:
207:
270:
Walt Disney, authorized the release of Walt Disney transcripts from the
400:
403:
actors Jean and Inez Bregant of Council Bluffs, Iowa and many others.
351:
277:
In 1922, Grell was recruited by Director Charles L. Hutchison of the
467:
1924 oil on canvas works exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago,
454:
in Washington DC in the 1920s, the Times Square Paramount Theatre,
161:
157:
483:
from 1905 exhibited in Dresden, Germany in 1906 and won honors.
463:
1917 (Art Institute of Chicago Instructor's Resume of 1918) and
294:
Grell's regular clientele list included old movie palace giants
426:
built in 1894 – the oldest resident artist colony in America.
303:
paintings. Murals by Grell can be seen today by visiting the
803:
371:(Best man in Grell's April 1, 1922 wedding at Tree Studios),
736:"American Show Limited in Scope: Notes of Art and Artists".
760:
Illinois–Cook County. National Register of Historic Places.
784:
Walt Disney Family Museum, The Presidio, San Francisco, CA
826:
Chicago Public Library "Chicago Fashioned plates by Grell
811:
34th Annual Art Institute of Chicago Exhibition Catalogue
640:
L. Grell personal communication #1, (1916). Chicago.
274:to the Louis Grell Family in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
849:
769:Oak Park Oakleaves, December 8, 1917 p. 14,
787:Who's Who in American Art 2011 - Publications,
323:; The Town of Persia, NY Town Hall in the old
346:
315:; Notre Dame de Chicago; the City of Detroit
237:Royal Academie of Fine Arts Munich, Germany
359:Close friends included Tarzan illustrator
139:Charles L. Hutchison, Ruth Van Sickle Ford
29:
821:Emerson Woelffer Oral Interview p. 11-12
387:, John and Anna Stacey, Julius Moessel,
350:
307:; the Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel and
232:
210:, from 1908 through 1912 (1907, June 2.
410:in their art studios in North Chicago.
395:and husband, Olympian and Tarzan actor
281:to become art instructor at the famous
850:
355:Tree Studio art colony former building
321:Springfield, Illinois (Amtrak station)
283:School of the Art Institute of Chicago
791:, March 2011, webpage: MWW-AmArt-2011
702:
533:, mural study, ca. 1930, watercolor
13:
908:20th-century American male artists
843:Illinois Board of Higher Education
816:Historic Images of Chicago Theater
272:Illinois Board of Higher Education
14:
919:
883:American people of German descent
795:
627:"Artist Returns From Salt Lake".
437:
416:Tree Studios building and annexes
289:
898:People from Council Bluffs, Iowa
832:Fort Shelby Hotel, Detroit video
740:. November 24, 1929. p. H5.
553:
538:
523:
508:
493:
448:Portrait of the Painter, Moessel
391:, impressionist Pauline Palmer,
99:composition and portrait painter
903:American expatriates in Germany
729:
720:
711:
696:
683:
595:. June 2, 1907. p. 33 M-5.
868:20th-century American painters
674:
665:
647:
634:
621:
614:"Painting Panorama In Zion".
608:
599:
584:
575:
375:and Victor Higgins; sculptors
168:from 1916 to 1922, and at the
1:
748:
176:
166:Chicago Academy of Fine Arts
7:
707:. pp. Tempo 3, Zone C.
618:: p. 3. September 14, 1907.
442:Grell's large mural titled
192:
45:Ludwig Heinrich Grell, III
10:
924:
757:(1973); edited by H. Black
631:: p. 3. November 14, 1907.
420:National Historic Landmark
347:Tree Studios artist colony
257:
156:resident artist colony in
486:
143:
133:
129:
121:
113:
103:
95:
87:
79:
63:
40:
28:
21:
568:
429:
279:Art Institute of Chicago
170:Art Institute of Chicago
755:List of Chicago Artists
365:Taos Society of Artists
888:Painters from Illinois
873:American male painters
356:
329:Citizens National Bank
238:
775:Council Bluffs, Iowa
738:Chicago Daily Tribune
424:Chicago City Landmark
354:
333:Springville, New York
313:Lift For Life Academy
236:
216:American Artists Club
150:Louis Frederick Grell
35:Self Portrait ca 1916
23:Louis Frederick Grell
317:Water Board Building
218:with fellow members
183:Council Bluffs, Iowa
58:Council Bluffs, Iowa
655:"About Walt Disney"
546:Century of Progress
477:Evening on the Lake
893:Painters from Iowa
878:American muralists
629:Omaha World Herald
616:Omaha World Herald
593:Omaha World Herald
465:The Midnight Carol
397:Johnny Weissmuller
369:E. Martin Hennings
357:
248:Fine Arts Building
239:
220:E. Martin Hennings
212:Omaha World Herald
117:Fredricka Seammers
839:@ 4:00 minutes in
789:Marquis Who's Who
642:American Art News
531:Apollo on Chariot
501:Neptune on Horses
361:J. Allen St. John
339:and many others.
147:
146:
67:November 21, 1960
55:November 30, 1887
915:
833:
807:
806:
804:Official website
742:
741:
733:
727:
724:
718:
715:
709:
708:
700:
694:
687:
681:
678:
672:
669:
663:
662:
651:
645:
638:
632:
625:
619:
612:
606:
603:
597:
596:
588:
582:
579:
557:
542:
527:
512:
497:
461:Carnival Evening
408:Emerson Woelffer
296:Balaban and Katz
187:Hamburg, Germany
136:
106:
70:
54:
52:
33:
19:
18:
16:American painter
923:
922:
918:
917:
916:
914:
913:
912:
848:
847:
831:
802:
801:
798:
751:
746:
745:
735:
734:
730:
725:
721:
716:
712:
705:Chicago Tribune
701:
697:
688:
684:
679:
675:
670:
666:
653:
652:
648:
639:
635:
626:
622:
613:
609:
604:
600:
590:
589:
585:
580:
576:
571:
564:
558:
549:
543:
534:
528:
519:
516:Cabin on Meadow
513:
504:
498:
489:
456:Gateway Theater
452:Mayflower Hotel
440:
432:
393:Diana Barrymore
349:
325:Bank of Gowanda
305:Chicago Theatre
292:
260:
200:Franz von Stuck
195:
181:He was born in
179:
134:
104:
75:
72:
68:
59:
56:
50:
48:
47:
46:
36:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
921:
911:
910:
905:
900:
895:
890:
885:
880:
875:
870:
865:
860:
846:
845:
840:
828:
823:
818:
813:
808:
797:
796:External links
794:
793:
792:
785:
782:
779:
773:
770:
767:
764:
761:
758:
750:
747:
744:
743:
728:
719:
710:
695:
682:
673:
664:
646:
633:
620:
607:
598:
583:
573:
572:
570:
567:
566:
565:
559:
552:
550:
548:, 1932, sketch
544:
537:
535:
529:
522:
520:
514:
507:
505:
499:
492:
488:
485:
469:Lady, with Dog
439:
438:Selected works
436:
431:
428:
367:early members
348:
345:
337:Youngstown, OH
291:
290:Artist at work
288:
259:
256:
228:Victor Higgins
194:
191:
178:
175:
145:
144:
141:
140:
137:
131:
130:
127:
126:
123:
119:
118:
115:
111:
110:
107:
101:
100:
97:
96:Known for
93:
92:
89:
85:
84:
81:
77:
76:
73:
71:(aged 72)
65:
61:
60:
57:
44:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
920:
909:
906:
904:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:
886:
884:
881:
879:
876:
874:
871:
869:
866:
864:
861:
859:
856:
855:
853:
844:
841:
838:
834:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
805:
800:
799:
790:
786:
783:
780:
778:
774:
771:
768:
765:
762:
759:
756:
753:
752:
739:
732:
723:
714:
706:
699:
692:
691:Picks Topicks
686:
677:
668:
660:
656:
650:
643:
637:
630:
624:
617:
611:
602:
594:
587:
578:
574:
562:
556:
551:
547:
541:
536:
532:
526:
521:
517:
511:
506:
502:
496:
491:
490:
484:
482:
478:
474:
470:
466:
462:
457:
453:
449:
445:
435:
427:
425:
421:
417:
411:
409:
404:
402:
398:
394:
390:
389:Macena Barton
386:
385:Carl Hoeckner
382:
381:Albin Polasek
378:
374:
370:
366:
362:
353:
344:
340:
338:
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
301:
300:Rapp and Rapp
297:
287:
284:
280:
275:
273:
267:
265:
255:
253:
249:
243:
235:
231:
229:
226:, Emil Frei,
225:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
204:Carl von Marr
201:
190:
188:
184:
174:
171:
167:
163:
159:
155:
151:
142:
138:
132:
128:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
66:
62:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
788:
776:
754:
737:
731:
722:
713:
704:
698:
690:
685:
676:
667:
658:
649:
641:
636:
628:
623:
615:
610:
601:
592:
586:
577:
560:
545:
530:
515:
500:
480:
476:
472:
468:
464:
460:
447:
443:
441:
433:
412:
405:
358:
341:
293:
276:
268:
261:
244:
240:
211:
196:
180:
149:
148:
105:Notable work
69:(1960-11-21)
863:1960 deaths
858:1887 births
563:, 1917, oil
518:, 1952, oil
503:, 1956, oil
383:; painters
377:John Storrs
373:Walter Ufer
309:Carew Tower
264:Walt Disney
252:Tree Studio
224:Walter Ufer
208:Angelo Jank
154:Tree Studio
80:Nationality
74:Chicago, IL
852:Categories
749:References
401:vaudeville
177:Early life
51:1887-11-30
693:, p. 6-7.
561:Ballerina
135:Patron(s)
88:Education
418:, now a
193:Training
162:Illinois
83:American
837:YouTube
481:Bacchus
473:Orpheus
444:Destiny
258:Chicago
158:Chicago
487:Images
479:, and
122:Awards
114:Spouse
569:Notes
430:Death
422:and
379:and
298:and
206:and
64:Died
41:Born
835:on
659:D23
854::
657:.
475:,
399:;
363:;
331:,
327:;
319:;
222:,
202:,
160:,
661:.
53:)
49:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
