Philip Campbell Curtis

Who was Philip Campbell Curtis?

Philip Campbell Curtis was an American painter best remembered for his surrealist-inspired style scenes often featuring figures in Victorian dress. He was also the founding director of the Phoenix Art Center, which became the Phoenix Art Museum. He was called a "Magical Realist," and "Magritte of the Old West" by some writers.

Curtis was born in Jackson, Michigan and received a B.A. from Albion College and enrolled in the art program at Yale in 1932. In 1947, he moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, where he converted a stable into a home and studio. He died in Scottsdale in 2000.