Roger Robles (b. 1946) American, Oil on Canvas. Large Impressionist garden scene with many multi-colored flowers and a cottage in the background. Signed bottom left. Title "Paris Garden" on stretcher on reverse. 

Overall: 45 1/4 X 57 1/4 in. 

Sight: 35 1/2 X 47 1/2 in. 

#3967 . 

Roger M. Robles was born on April 3rd, 1946 in Nutley, Jew Jersey. His parents were artists, and his older brother Julian also became a prominent artist. The family frequently visited museums in nearby New York City, where Robles was first captivated by portraiture, his lifelong pursuit. His early interest in French and American Impressionism came to dominate everything he ever painted. In high school he also took up photography after discovering the work of Hollywood celebrity photographer George Hurrell, developing his style with both forms simultaneously. He traveled to California to attend UCLA, where he studied photography with avant-garde leader Edmond Teske, obtaining his BA in Art in 1968. He spent one year working for the United California Bank in the property development department before giving up on a “real” profession for good. In 1970 a wealthy friend commissioned him for a portrait, which led to a rapidly-growing network of commissions that kept him constantly working for the next 30 years. He commuted regularly between Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City to paint. His portrait of Ann Landers is in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Museum, and one of Sir George Solti hangs prominently in Orchestra Hall in Chicago. After buying a home in Rancho Mirage in 1995 he began to focus more on landscapes and still lifes, eventually dedicating himself mostly to photography. He is credited with reviving interest in the “glamor” style created by his muse Hurrell in the 2000s. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic he has curbed his travel substantially, particularly after the 2023 death of his brother Julian, but continues to take portrait commissions even now in his late 70s.