Carl Rudolph "Fritz" Poock (February 20, 1877 – January 2, 1945) was an American artist born in Germany. He was a noted practitioner of the

Plein-Air Painting ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or plein-air painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting is cr ...

style, an important movement in pre-

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

, and a part of the influential Arroyo Seco art scene.

Early life

Fritz Poock was born in

Halberstadt Halberstadt (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, the capital of Harz (district), Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town ...

, Germany in 1877. He studied with Francisco del Marmol of Spain.

Move to Los Angeles

In 1905, Poock moved to Los Angeles, eventually settling in the Highland Park neighborhood. He worked in construction — including a stint at Manzanillo, Mexico, where he also painted — and as a mechanical drafter until retiring at age 50 to devote himself full-time to painting.

Career

Fritz Poock worked primarily in watercolor and was a member of the influential

California Art Club The California Art Club (CAC) is one of the oldest and most active arts organizations in California. Founded in December 1909, it celebrated its centennial in 2009 and into the spring of 2010. The California Art Club originally evolved out of The ...

, painted a mural at

Santa Monica High School Santa Monica High School, officially abbreviated to Samohi or SMHS, is a public high school in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1891, it changed location several times in its early years before settling into its present campus at 601 Pico Bo ...

and had shows at the venerable Stendahl Galleries and the Friday Morning Club. Upon his death in 1945, his wife Doris Poock donated paintings to the City of Los Angeles and to the

Southwest Museum of the American Indian The Southwest Museum of the American Indian was a museum, library, and archive located in the Mt. Washington neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States, above the north-western bank of the Arroyo Seco canyon and stream. The museum ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poock, Fritz 1877 births 1945 deaths 19th-century German painters 19th-century American male artists German male painters 20th-century German painters 20th-century American male artists 19th-century American painters American male painters 20th-century American painters People from Halberstadt Emigrants from the German Empire to the United States