{{short description|American etcher and painter}} {{Infobox person | name = Edward Borein | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = October 21, 1873 | birth_place = San Leandro, California, U.S. | death_date = May 19, 1945 | death_place = Santa Barbara, California, U.S. | other_names = John Edward Borein | known_for = American Frontier art | education = | employer = | occupation = Etcher, painter, illustrator, educator | title = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | boards = | spouse = Lucile Maxwell | children = | parents = | relatives = }} '''John Edward Borein''' (1873–1945)<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |year=1945 |orig-date=Monday May 21 |title=Final Tribute Paid Edward Borein In Simple Service in Cemetery Chapel |work=Santa Barbara News-Press |page=1 |publication-place=Santa Barbara, California}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Davidson |first=Harold |title=John Edward Borein: The Santa Barbara Years |publisher=Doubleday & Co. |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-9704940-1-6 |edition=1st |location=Santa Barbara |pages=32}}</ref> was an American etcher, painter and illustrator from California. He extensively travelled the western United States working as a cowboy before transitioning to become a full-time professional artist. He spend his early artistic career working in studios between Oakland, California and New York, New York. Later in his career, Borein resided in Santa Barbara California where he worked for over 20 years. His artwork depicted Spanish Colonial California, the American Frontier, and Mexico.
==Early life (1873–1904)== John Edward Borein was born on October 21, 1873, in San Leandro, California.<ref name=":0" /> His maternal grandfather was "one of the most famous horsemen in Alta California". Borein's father was a sheriff's deputy in Alameda County<ref name="sbindependentarchetypal">{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Marlene |title=Edward Borein's Archetypal Images of the Old West |url=https://www.independent.com/2007/11/08/edward-boreins-archetypal-images-old-west/ |accessdate=May 26, 2020 |work=Santa Barbara Independent |date=November 8, 2007}}</ref> and he was later elected Alameda County Recorder.<ref>{{Cite news |year=1972 |orig-date=Sunday, January 16, 1972 |title=A Newspaper And an Artist Achieve Fame |work=The Oakland Tribune |page=Page 109}}</ref> Borein took to art at an early age and he quickly became fascinated with the American Frontier. He rejected more traditional careers including law enforcement, and after a brief flirtation as a saddler's apprentice,<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |year=1917 |orig-date=Sunday, June 17, 1917 |title=Borein a Cowpuncher Translated Into Art. |work=The Sun (New York, New York) |page=52}}</ref> at the age of 17 he found work as a cowboy<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Marlene |title=John Edward Borein: The Formative Years |publisher=Santa Barbara Historical Society |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-9704940-2-3 |edition=1st |location=Santa Barbara, California |page=21}}</ref> in 1893.<ref name="lincolnappreciationgrowing">{{cite news |last1=Wolgamott |first1=L. Kent |date=January 23, 2000 |title=Appreciation growing for artist's work |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/297498774/?terms=%22Edward%2BBorein%22 |url-access=registration |accessdate=December 9, 2018 |work=Lincoln Journal Star |publisher=Lee Enterprises |location=Lincoln, Nebraska |page=83 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="kerrvilletimesworksondisplay">{{cite news |date=February 15, 1998 |title=Works by Edward Borein on display at CAAM |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/18867798/?terms=%22Edward%2BBorein%22 |url-access=registration |accessdate=December 10, 2018 |work=The Kerrville Times |publisher=Southern Newspapers Inc. |location=Kerrville, Texas |page=48 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> At his mother's insistence, Borein returned home after a year doing ranch work and spent a month at the San Francisco Art Association Art School, after which he promptly resumed ranching. He worked on the land for two decades.<ref name="lincolnappreciationgrowing" /> Borein worked in 1894 as a vaquero on the Jesus Maria Rancho (later known as Vandenberg Space Force Base).<ref name="santaynezvalleynewsobit">{{cite news |date=May 25, 1945 |title=Edward Borein, 72, Famous Etcher, Dies in Santa Barbara |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/498041408/?terms=%22Edward%2BBorein%22 |url-access=registration |accessdate=December 9, 2018 |work=Santa Ynez Valley News |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="santamariatimesobit">{{cite news |date=May 21, 1945 |title=Edward Borein, 72, Famous Etcher, Dies in Santa Barbara |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/447010886/?terms=%22Edward%2BBorein%22 |url-access=registration |accessdate=December 9, 2018 |work=Santa Maria Times |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Borein honed his love of the American Frontier and art having spent time working on different western ranches from Canada to Mexico and Guatemala.<ref name=":1" /> It was in 1896 when Borein was encouraged to send a few of his drawing into ''The Land of Sunshine'', a magazine published by Charles Lummis.<ref name=":2" /> A short while later, Borein received a check in the mail, and several of his drawing were published in August edition of The Land of Sunshine.<ref name=":2" /> Borein worked on the ranches during the day, sketching when he could, and further practicing his art in the evening. However, despite finding some success publishing his early work, he continued to resist settling down and focused on his true love, working as a cowboy. In 1903, toward the end of his cowboy days, Borein found himself working on the 500,000 acre Hacienda Babicora in the employ of Mrs. Phoebe Hearst, mother of publisher William Randolph Hearst.<ref name=":2" />thumb|right|''Charging Hawk'' by Borein, 1920.
==Early art career (1904–1921)==
1904 was a watershed year for Borein. Whether it was the rigors of ranching wearing down the then 31 Borein, or the call of his art that continued to mature with each sketch, drawing and painting, he chose in 1904 to partially depart the range and open a studio in Oakland, California<ref name=":2" />., It was during this early career period that Borein began to split, albeit unevenly, his time between New York City and Oakland. For example, In December 1907, Borein moved east and opened a studio in New York City where he enjoyed his first public exhibition in 1908.<ref name=":2" /> During Borein's time in New York City, he became associated with contemporaries such as Leo Carrillo, Will Rogers, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Teddy Roosevelt<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Tompkins |first=Walker |date=December 8, 1984 |title=Borein book is a treasure |work=Santa Barbara News-Press |page=54}}</ref>'''.''' Borein did his arguably most famous commissions in September 1912, creating works associated with the Calgary Stampede.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Woodard |first=Josef |year=2000 |orig-date=Sunday March 26, 2000 |title=Home on the Range: Gifted cowboy artist whose work is on exhibit knew the Wild West he painted |work=The Los Angeles Times |page=412}}</ref> Borein also became friends with Charles Marion Russell, an American Frontier painter from Montana, and further cultivated his deep friendship with Will Rogers. According to ''The Los Angeles Times'', "The three formed a triumvirate who depicted with picture and legend the West before the days of the fences'''."<ref name="latimesobit">{{cite news |date=May 20, 1945 |title=Ed Borein, Painter, Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/380742027/?terms=%22Edward%2BBorein%22 |url-access=registration |accessdate=December 9, 2018 |work=The Los Angeles Times |page=13 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>'''He also studied art in New York City and in Paris.<ref name="santaynezvalleynewsobit" /><ref name="santamariatimesobit" /> He was primarily trained as an illustrator.<ref name="lincolnappreciationgrowing" />
== Santa Barbara years (1921–1945) ==
"I believe only an accurate history of the west, nothing else, but that. If anything isn't authentic or just right, I won't put it in any of my work.”-Edward Borein<ref>{{Cite news |year=1975 |orig-date=Friday January 31, 1975 |title=Edward Borein a superior artist |work=Star-Phoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada) |page=66}}</ref>
In his later years, as Borein's career continued to evolve, becoming recognized as a skilled etcher and painter. He opened a studio in El Paseo, Santa Barbara, California, in 1921.<ref name="santamariatimesobit" /> It quickly became a popular meeting place for local artists.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |year=1999 |orig-date=Sunday October 24, 1999 |title=Figures of History |work=Santa Barbara News-Press |page=163}}</ref> He also taught etching at the Santa Barbara School of the Arts.<ref name="sbindependentarchetypal" /> His works of art were nostalgic artistic representations of the Western lifestyle.<ref name="lincolnappreciationgrowing" /> He depicted scenes of Spanish Colonial California, including Spanish missions.<ref name="santaynezvalleynewsobit" /> Another theme included the American Frontier, especially Native Americans and cowboys.<ref name="santaynezvalleynewsobit" /> His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Edward Borein |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/921457 |accessdate=2 August 2020 |work=Olympedia}}</ref>
==Personal life, death and legacy== Borein married Lucile Maxwell in 1921.<ref name="sbindependentarchetypal"/> They resided in Santa Barbara, California.<ref name="sbindependentarchetypal"/> The Boreins built their first home on the Santa Barbara Mesa and named it La Barranca, where it featured ocean views and was a popular meeting place for show business people, artists, writers and politicians.<ref name=":3" /> The Boreins later resided in Montecito, California.<ref name=":0" />
Borein help organize the first Old Spanish Days Fiesta in 1924 and drove a pack of mules in the first Old Spanish Days parade.<ref name=":4" />
Borein died of a heart attack on May 19, 1945, in Santa Barbara, at age 72.<ref name="latimesobit" /><ref name="santaynezvalleynewsobit" /><ref name="santamariatimesobit" />
Some of his paintings and etchings are displayed in the Santa Barbara Historical Museum's Edward Borein Gallery.<ref name="sbhistoricalabout">{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Marlene R. |title=About Edward Borein |url=https://www.sbhistorical.org/john-edward-borein/ |website=Santa Barbara Historical Museum |accessdate=December 9, 2018 |archive-date=December 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210110818/https://www.sbhistorical.org/john-edward-borein/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1971, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hall of Great Westerners |url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/hall-of-great-westerners/ |website=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum |accessdate=November 21, 2019}}</ref>
==Further reading== *{{cite book |last1=Galvin |first1=John R. |title=The Etchings of Edward Borein |date=1971 |publisher=J. Howell--Books |location=San Francisco, California|oclc=752888063}} *{{cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=Harold G. |title=The Lost Works of Edward Borein |date=1979 |publisher=Harold G. Davidson |location=Santa Barbara, California|oclc=5425105}} *{{cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=Harold G. |title=Edward Borein: Cowboy Artist |date=2000 |publisher=Gerald Peters Gallery |location=Santa Fe, New Mexico |isbn=9780935037630|oclc=44949399}} *B. Byron White (2021). ''Edward Borein, Etched by the West.'' Santa Barbara, California: Santa Barbara Historical Museum. UPC: 9780970494016
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{FadedPage|id=Borein, Edward|name=Edward Borein|author=yes}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Borein, Edward}} Category:1872 births Category:1945 deaths Category:People from San Leandro, California Category:Painters from California Category:20th-century American etchers Category:American male painters Category:20th-century American painters Category:Artists of the American West Category:Art competitors at the 1932 Summer Olympics Category:Artists from Santa Barbara, California Category:20th-century American male artists