Chris Siemer (also known as Christian Emil Siemer) was born in Adelaide on 22 November 1874 to German immigrant parents Chris Emil Siemer (1841 – 1919) and Emilie Siemer (1841 – 1937). His mother Emilie was Secretary of the Working Women’s Trade Union in South Australia and was a pioneering advocate for women’s rights and equality in the workplace.
Siemer appears to have been mostly based in South Australia until approximately 1901 / 1902, after which he briefly lived in New Zealand with his soon to be wife, “Sissy” Elizabeth Mullan (1879 – 1904). On 18 March 1903 he married Sissy had a daughter Olga shortly after and then a son also named Christian Emil Siemer (jnr). Sissy sadly died in 1904 shortly after their second child was born. Siemer then moved with the children back to South Australia shortly after Sissy’s death. He then settled in Los Angeles in 1906 (or 1913) and remained a resident there until he passed away on 6 February 1940.
Records indicate Siemer may have studied art in Paris and Munich, which were the standard centres for training in the late nineteenth century. The earliest newspaper articles or exhibitions of Siemer as an artist appear from 1894 where he exhibits with the Adelaide Easel Club. The Adelaide Easel Club broke away from the South Australian Society of Arts in 1892, before re-merging with the parent organization in 1901. It was a small club, however, its members included well known artists such as Hans Heysen and James Ashton. The critic from Quiz and the Lantern newspaper at the time stated the following of one of Siemer’s works “If the little view of the “Port River” is an original sketch, then it may be put down as one of the most successful bits in the gallery.”
Siemer had a distinct impressionist style and based on some critical review, he appears to have pushed the boundaries in regard to the art expectations of critics at the time. Available records indicate he also exhibited with the Adelaide Easel Club in 1895 and 1900. His painting “A Summer’s Afternoon” from the 1900 exhibition was described by a critic as “…immeasurably superior, and quite pleasing to the eye. A child is standing on the edge of a pool, and, having thrown a stone in, is watching the circling ripples extent.” Another critic stated “Mr. Chris. Seimer shows three or four pictures, the best of which is “A Summer’s Afternoon.” One need not be told that the artist has studied his profession in Paris, and this picture shows that he made good use of his time in the gay capital. The limpidity of the water and the sensation of sunshine have been splendidly secured, and the picture is one that will give pleasure to those who look on Mr. Siemer as one of our promising artists.” Siemer’s painting “A Summer’s Afternoon” was recently rediscovered after 123 years and is now within a private collection in Melbourne. Siemer appeared to be one of Adelaide’s young shining stars at the time, before heading overseas, in the first instance to be with his wife’s family while their two children were born. While in New Zealand, available records indicate Siemer’s exhibited five oil paintings with the Canterbury Art Society’s 24th Annual Exhibition in March 1904.
After the tragedy of his wife Sissy passing away and being a widower looking after his two children, Siemer’s big career break came during his time in the USA. Available information indicates Siemer moved to the USA in either 1906 or 1913. Very little information is currently known of Siemer’s activities from 1913 to 1925. However, from 1925 his artistic career flourished and he became known as “…one of the west’s best known painters”, predominantly due to his significant commissions from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. By 1925, he had received a one-year contract from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce to paint forty-seven panoramas of Southern California to decorate the ground-floor display space of the Chamber’s new quarters on Twelfth Street. Siemer’s contract seems to have been repeatedly renewed, as he continued to paint canvases for the Chamber up until the time of his death, leading him to be termed locally as “The Chamber of Commerce Artist” per Richard Reitzel, et.al., Art at the Jonathan Club, LA: Jonathan Art Foundation, 2010. Well known US art historian Nancy Mourne also supplied the following newspaper extracts mentioning Siemer’s work:
“Chamber Retains Popular Artist” to paint dioramas for L A C of C, PSN, Jan. 10, 1925, p. 31;
“Oil Painting of Bridge Showing: Canvas by Chris Siemer Goes All Over Nation,” PSN, Aug. 27, 1927, p. 29;
“Noted Artist for Paintings. Chris Siemer, the same artist who painted a life-size portrait of John Steven McGroarty, author of the Mission Play, to be unveiled at the 3000th performance of the play, has been retained to paint Pismo Beach and Morro Bay for the California Land Show, according to Leigh Irvine, secretary of the county Chamber of Commerce. Chris Siemer is one of the west’s best-known painters. The air view paintings of Morro Bay, Pismo Beach and the other paintings used to represent this county at the land show will be on exhibit in various places throughout the county after the close of the show in Los Angeles,” From the 7-volume set “Art and Photography” of the Central Coast, PSCA, vol. 13, nos. 1-7. SLO DT, Feb. 5, 1930, p. 3.
Siemer was a member of the Painters and Sculptors of Los Angeles and his exhibitions included the Century of Progress Fair: Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939 and the California State Fairs; Del Mar Fairgrounds, 1940. Three of his paintings are held by the Jonathan Art Foundation in Los Angeles.
Siemer passed away on 6 February 1940 in Los Angeles aged 66, USA leaving daughter Olga and son Christian (also referred to as “Jim”). Records indicated he painted until his death. His paintings are still in significant demand to the present day.
- Writers:
-
- Date written:
- 2023
- Last updated:
- 2023
