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Wayman Adams
Born in Muncie, Indiana on Sept. 23, 1883, Wayman Adams studied at the Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis. He went on to study with William M. Chase in Florence. From there he traveled in 1912 to Spain and besides studying Velazquez, made many sketches of the life of the Spanish people.He also studied with the classic American portrait painter Robert Henri. In California he was a resident of Los Angeles in 1916 and painted scenes of San Francisco's Chinatown. Most of his career was spent in New York before moving to Austin, TX in 1948.

Wayman Adams is known for portraits of prominent persons including authors, painters, and political leaders. He was known as a "lightning" artist because his portraits were completed in one sitting. Ethnic types constitute one of the most intriguing aspects of his work.The sitter is the main focus in Adams' portraits. He completed several regional series, one recording the people of Chinatown in San Francisco, and another series depicting the life of New Orleans.

Among his awards are the Logan medal, with $1500, Art Institute of Chicago, 1912, for the portrait of American artist Joseph Pennell; Greenough memorial prize, Newport, 1925; medal of the Sesquicentennial Exposition, 1926; first Altman prize of the National Academy, 1926. He was a member of the National Academy. He exhibited at the National Academy of Design, 1914 (prize), Art Institute of Chicago, 1918, Int'l Expo (Venice), 1924, Carnegie Institute, 1943 (prize), Indiana State Library, and the Texas State Capitol.

Wayman Adams died in 1959.

Sold works:

The Clinging Vine
The Hymn
The Offering

The Word