Victor Joseph Harles (1894 -1975)

Born and raised in St. Louis Missouri, Victor Harles grew up on Cote Brilliante Avenue since his birth in 1894. His father was an amateur photographer and he was raised in an artistic household. One of the earliest influences on him to become a painter was during the Saint Louis Worlds Fair (Louisiana Purchase Exhibition) in 1904. Central in this Worlds Fair was the St. Louis Art Museum. The museum hosted the Swedish painter Andres Zorn, who gave painting demonstrations to the public.

Those demonstrations are what gave ten year old Victor the determination to become a painter. He moved to New York City in 1914 and studied at the Art Students League. There his principal teachers in painting wer...