Robert Patterson was born in Chicago and attended the Chicago Art Institute. Among his teachers there and later were Harvey Dunn, Walt Louderback, Ralph Barton, Pierre Brissaud, and Carl Erickson.

Patterson began his professional career in Chicago, and for some time, directed the Patterson studios there with his brother Loran. In 1922, he came to New York and began doing fashion illustration.

Judge magazine sent him to France in 1924 to do a feature entitled “Betty Goes Abroad.” When Judge failed in 1927, he managed to obtain a fashion illustration assignment from Vogue in Paris, where he stayed until 1934.

Upon his return to the United States, he began to do editorial illustrations for the major magazines, including McCall’s, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, The Ladies’ Home Journal, Redbook, Collier’s, Woman’s Home Companion, and American Magazine, as well as advertising assignments and book illustration.

Source:
Website of 1stDIBS, 2021

Robert Patterson studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. Part of the Society of illustrators, he is mostly known for his various styles which he inherited from teachers such as Pierre Brissaud, Carl Erickson, Ralph Barton and others.

His works were published by numerous magazines such as Vogue, McCall’s, Snappy Stories, Ladies’ Home Journal, Rebook, Cosmopolitan.