Ernest Peixotto was born on October 15, 1869, in San Francisco. He received his public school education in San Francisco at the San Francisco School of Design under the aegis of Emil Carlsen. Beginning in 1888, he entered the Atelier Julien in Paris, and studied for seven years with Constant, Lefebvre, and Doucet. Several years were spent touring and sketching the French countryside. He exhibited in many Paris salons and in leading American exhibitions, illustrated books and periodicals, and painted murals for many important buildings.

In 1894, he returned to San Francisco and soon thereafter founded "The Lark", an art magazine. In 1897, he moved to New York City and worked for Scribner's and Harper's. Living in New York until 1899, ...