Born November 18, 1861, Jean Mannheim grew up in Kreuznach, Germany. At 17, he left home and began to journey throughout Germany making a living by binding books and painting portraits on the side. Shortly after being drafted into the German army, Mannheim defected and traveled to Paris to learn English and began his art studies. From 1884 to 1908, Mannheim settled in the US, calling both Decatur, Illinois and Denver, Colorado home at times, while continuing to travel back to Paris for his art studies at respected Paris schools, including the Academie Julian. During this time he married Eunice Drennan and the couple had 2 daughters, who were often portrayed in his work over the years. When the Mannheims returned to America in the fall of 1908 they settled in Pasadena, California on the banks of the Arroyo Seco. Mannheim immediately immersed himself in the Southern California art scene and became an active exhibitor over the next 3 decades and was a member of numerous organizations including the California Art Club and the Laguna Beach Art Association among others. He continued to teach and mentor the young artists of the day and with C. P. Townsley founded the Stickney Memorial Art School in Pasadena in 1914. During this period Mannheim’s portrait business flourished with clients including attorney John Mitchell, industrialist King Gillette, artist William Wendt, and naturalist John Burroughs among the most notable. He also began painting impressionistic landscapes of the nearby Arroyo Seco and of the rugged scenery of the Monterey Peninsula during annual summer trips to the area. His work was exhibited and recognized with gold medals at the 1909 Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition in Seattle and the 1916 Panama-California International Exposition in San Diego and he exhibited in the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. During this period, he added a newer style of painting casual portrait ... http://www.jeanmannheim.com/#!about1/cy4t undefined

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