Among the American mural decorators who have achieved a reputation
which is not confined to the land of their birth, is William de
Leftwich Dodge. Some of the principal decorations of the Boston public
library and the capitol of Washington are the outcome of his genius.
He has also executed a number of private commissions, and in each and
every instance has given evidence of fertile imagination and forceful
execution. It is perhaps too much to say that Mr. Dodge has inaugurated
or suggested a new school of mural art, but it is certain that he has
so modified accepted methods that the results are practically without
precedent as far as his special line of work is concerned. He was
born in Liberty, Virginia, and, after a preliminary art education in
this country, studied in Paris and Munich. He began his career proper
as an illustrator, but it was not long before he realized that his
future lay along the lines of decoration rather than in the pages of
publications, and, as has been intimated, his successes have vindicated
the wisdom of his decision. He has been awarded the third medal of the
Concours d’Atelier, Paris; the gold medal, Prize Fund exposition, 1886;
three medals Cours Yvon, 1887; Prix d’Atelier, 1888, and medal of the
Columbian exposition, 1893.