William Lewis Marple was born in NYC on Feb. 16, 1827. Sailing by clipper ship to San Francisco via Panama in 1849, Marple mined for a while in the Mother Lode country around Placerville. Abandoning his pursuit of gold, he worked as a sign and house painter in that area and, as a self-taught artist, began painting landscapes. After moving to San Francisco in 1866, he established a studio at 432 Montgomery and in 1867 participated in a sale of paintings with several other artists including Denny, Young, Holdredge, and Bush. In 1869 he made a trip to Europe to study the Old Masters. He visited Paris, Munich and, after a short stay in NYC, returned to San Francisco in 1871. In that year he was instrumental in cofounding the San Francisco Art Ass'n and entered 36 pictures in the association's first exhibition. The silver-gray effects of his paintings received favorable comments at the annual Mechanics' Institute Fairs. Solomon Gump became his friend and patron, and in 1872 they opened a gallery called, "Marple & Gump's, Importers of Paintings." Gump provided the financial backing and was exclusive agent for the sale of Marple's paintings. During the 1870s Marple was considered one of the top artists in San Francisco and was financially successful. In 1877 he left San Francisco for NYC and during 1879-80 was active in Chicago and St Louis where he was founder and director of the St Louis Art Ass'n. In 1880 he was in Colorado prospecting and painting with Harvey Otis Young. He died in Aspen, CO on Feb. 23, 1910.

Exh: Mechanics' Inst. (SF), 1868-78; Snow & Roos (SF), 1869; San Francisco Art Association, 1872-77.

Works held in public places: Oakland Museum; Crocker Museum (Sacramento); California Historical Society; Society of Calif. Pioneers.

The following is from Cornelia C Moynihan, Loudonville NY:

William Lewis Marple was born in New York City in 1827 and traveled to
California at age 22 to seek his fortune in the '49ers Gold Rush. Said to be
self-taught as an artist, he found that painting was more rewarding than
prospecting for precious metal, and he became one of the important early
landscape painters in San Francisco on settling there in 1866.

Marple was able to embark on a European tour to study the Old Masters by 1869, and on returning two years later he became a co-founder of the San Francisco Artists Association. He flourished financially with strong patronage, notably that of wealthy gallery owner Solomon Gump.

From about 1877 Marple journeyed back to paint on the East Coast and also was active in the Midwest. He lived in Chicago and in Saint Louis, where he was a founder and director of the Saint Louis Artists Association as well. Around 1880 he resumed travels in the West, and in Colorado he again prospected and painted with Harvey Otis Young. Marple
died in Aspen, Colorado in 1910.

(Sources -- Hughes "Artists in California", Falk
"Who Was Who in American Art") - Cornelia C Moynihan, Moynihan Fine Art,
Loudonville NY