Paul Sample attended Dartmouth from 1916-21 and earned his degree in architecture. Later he studied art at the Otis Art Institute. It was not until after Sample spent four years recovering from tuberculosis after his college graduation that he turned to art. When Sample regained his health he went to study with Jonas Lie. In 1926 he decided to move to California where he taught at the University of Southern California. He also worked as a war art correspondent for Life Magazine from 1942-45. Sample's career was a success from the start, beginning by illustrating ads for big business such as General Motors and Maxwell House Coffee. He also illustrated articles for many leading magazines. He was a Realist landscape and genre painter whose work reflected a richness and joy in life. Sample really developed his own style while in California rather than depict popular subjects such as the Sierra Mountains or desert florals. He served as an artist-in-residence at Dartmouth College from 1938 until his retirement in 1962. Sample died at his home in Vermont in 1974.

Biography courtesy of The Caldwell Gallery, www.antiquesandfineart.com/caldwell