George B. Shepherd

Shepherd was born in Petersburg, Virginia and graduated from the University of Virginia in 1911. He traveled to Paris for further study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After returning to the states, he set up a studio on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue where he executed portraits in oil and charcoal. By 1913, he was mentioned in the highly-respected American Art News for showing his work in Paris.

Shepherd served in the infantry during World War I. He exhibited at the Society of Independent Artists in 1917 and in at least one modern American art show organized by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in 1923. In the field of portraiture, Shepherd gained a reputation for his society pictures including his depiction of polo players in Tryon, North Carolina. As a result, he is featured in the 2001 publication Tryon Artists: 1892 – 1942, along with Cecilia Beaux and other notable artists.