
Self-Portrait
Taos
NM

Wood Sculpture of Old Pedro




Fred Painting on a West Texas Ranch

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Friedrich Ernst (Fred) Darge (1900-1978)
was born in Rendsburg, Germany
March 1, 1900 and died in Dallas, Texas April 10, 1978.
He entered the U.S. at Port Arthur, Texas in 1923. Darge attended the Art Institute of Chicago (1925-27, 1929)
and at the Arts Students League in New York. While in Chicago, Darge painted, made model
sail boats, which was a interest he acquired in the German Merchant Marine at the age of
16. During this period, he made a painting trip with his wife and son through Minnesota
and the Dakota's.
By July of 1933 he had separated from his wife and son in Chicago and had settled
in San Antonio as a Starving Artist. In 1935 he moved to Dallas, Texas where he finished
his paintings during the Winter months and spent the Summers painting and
sketching on Ranches in West
Texas, mostly the area between the Davis Mountains and the Rio Grande and in New Mexico.
Darge stated "I believe the simple, direct living of the pioneer people
will soon come to an end. I want to register the ranchman as he lives today,
his daily habits, his mode of living and doing business".
He soon learned to follow the life of the hands on the ranches he
visited and became adept at riding and roping and made himself handy around
the campfires.

Photo
of Darge
Darge entered the Army in 1942 and served in the South Pacific and was honorably
discharged in March 1944. He worked for North American Aviation (defense industry) as a
technical illustrator until wars end.
Darge returned to Dallas in 1946 and bought a W.W.II ambulance and converted it to an
artists studio/van and spent the years 1946 to 1978 traveling and painting throughout
Texas and New Mexico and returning to Dallas to finish his paintings, carve, build and
sail his model boats.
His paintings
have been exhibited in Chicago (Union League Club/Art Institute of
Chicago); New York (Art Students League); Miami, Philadelphia,
Dallas (Museum of Fine Arts/Texas Centennial Exposition); San
Antonio (Witte Museum); Fort Worth (Annual Texas Artists Exposition); Corpus Christi, Austin (Laguna Gloria Art Museum); Taos and Santa Fe,
New Mexico and others, winning numerous awards and honorable mentions.
His later years
were spent at his studio adjacent to the Dallas Art Association
where he also acted as an Instructor.
Seeking to Purchase Works by
Fred Darge
& other Early
Texas Artists

Email or Call Richard Plumly
(210)
408-7778

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Mae West
visiting
Fred Darge Exhibit at
Lawrence Gallery, Dallas 1939.
She particularly liked this self-portrait
of the artist with his favorite mount.



Darge in His Studio |