Olaf Seltzer 1877-1957
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Olaf Seltzer’s parents, seeing his talent for drawing, enrolled him in a school where he would develop his skills to the point where he was accepted into the Technical Institute of Copenhagen. In 1892, after his father’s untimely death, Seltzer’s mother emigrated to the United States, settling in Great Falls, Montana. Seltzer became a cowboy, then worked as a a machinist for the Great Northern Railway. A meeting with artist Charles Russell became a fast friendship, and Russell encouraged and mentored Seltzer as he moved toward a full-time career as a painter. Seltzer spent 1926-27 in New York, cultivating dealers and clients and finding ready interest in his work. Always a student of his subjects, Seltzer distinguishes himself in his choice of moments to depict and in the vibrance of his palette.