Granville Redmond was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 9, 1871. Stricken with scarlet fever, Redmond was deaf at the age of three. After moving with his family to San Jose, California in 1874, he attended the Berkeley School for the Deaf from 1879 through 1890 where Theophilus D'Estrella taught him painting, drawing and pantomime. Upon graduation he entered the San Francisco School of Design where he was awarded a scholarship for further study in Paris at Academie Julian under Constant and Laurens. Returning to California in 1898, he took up residence in Los Angeles. 1910 to 1917 were spent in Northern California. In 1917 he returned to Los Angeles and his ability in sign language was put to use when he became a bit player in the silent movies in Hollywood. He became close friends with Charlie Chaplin and was instrumental in perfecting Chaplin's pantomime technique. He had a studio on the lot and appeared in several of Chaplin's movies including "City Lights" and "You'd Be Surprised". One of the foremost exponents of Impressionism in California, he is internationally known for his landscapes of rolling hills, poppy & lupine fields, coastals, seascapes and moonlit scenes. Redmond died in Los Angeles on May 24, 1935.
Biography courtesy of DeRu's Fine Arts, www.antiquesandfineart.com/derus
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