Cyrus Fulton

Fulton, Cyrus

Cyrus Fulton

Cyrus James Fulton

Pueblo 1873

Oregon

Eugene 1949

painter

Northwest artist

Oregon artist

A resident of Oregon since the age of three, Cyrus Fulton was known for painting expansive views of the state. He favored eastern Oregon vistas, the rolling surf of coast towns, and the Cascade mountains. His early canvases were painted in an impressionistic style using high key, bright colors and mellow sunlight. A haberdasher by profession, Fulton began doing his own sign lettering, window painting, and ad writing. He liked this graphic artwork so much that he set up a home studio and art shop on NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland. Unfortunately, his first venture as an artist did not succeed.

Fulton worked for the WPA, completing works in Salem and Eugene. From the 1930s on he adopted a modernist style. In 1935 he built a studio in Eugene and devoted himself to painting full-time until his death. In these final years, his style became bolder and his colors even brighter. He was a good friend of the Northwest Indians and was able to converse in several of their dialects. One of his most popular subjects was a portrayal of Native Americans in natural fishing and hunting scenes.

Artist biography reproduced with permission from the authors, Oregon Painters: the First Hundred Years (1859-1959), Ginny Allen and Jody Klevit.

Male