William Franklin Jackson, Untitled (Landscape)

WILLIAM FRANKLIN JACKSON
1850-1936

Untitled (landscape)
Oil on linen, 1920-late 1930s

William Jackson was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa. His family came to Sacramento by covered wagon in 1863. He went to San Francisco to study art at the San Francisco School of Design with Virgil Williams and Benoni Irwin. He kept a studio in San Francisco until 1880 when he moved back permanently to Sacramento.

Jackson was a plein air painter known for depicting rolling hills, spring wildflowers and vistas of the American River and Donner Lake. He was a close friend of the painter William Keith. He won gold medals wherever his work was shown.

Jackson is perhaps best known for his role at the Crocker Art Museum. When the Crocker family deeded their art gallery/home to the City of Sacramento in 1884, Jackson became curator and director of the art school. He worked there for fifty-two years, until his death in 1936.

--Kathleen Durham and Lois Smalley