The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-10-15

Montana contributes richly to the
art of the nation. and to perpetuatlon
of interest in western pioneer days:
through the impressive canvasses OF
Olaf c. Settler of Great Falls, con-
sidered one of the vests greatest
artists.
Settlers paintings. mostly in oil, de-
cry, are now exhibited in practically
every state of the union and in many
Canadian provinces.
Showing much the same courage and
fortitude as depicted in the western
scenes he has painted, Settler made his
own way-Working as machlnlst Tor
many years. and devoting his spare
hours to his water colorS, pen and INK
sketches, and later oils.
His early years were spent in Den
mark, having been born in the tene-
ment district of Copenhagen. He re-
ceived his first art training in the
Copenhagen schools. While just in his
teens, he enrolled with grown men in
a technical institution, where he soon
showed his natural talent and ranked
high in the free-hand drawing classes.
At the age of IA, in 1892, he LETT
Denmark with his mother, Mrs. Julia
Setter. On arrival in this country,
they came straight to Great Falls,
where they lived for two years at the
old silver smelter, northwest of the
present city. Since then he has lived
most of the time in Great Falls, with
the exception of intervals spent in New
York City. In those days, Great. Falls
was still an infant city in the pioneer
west. During the days when Settler and
his mother were living at the smelter,
he had constant opportunities to
watch buffalo and antelope and other
wild game grazing on the open prair1es
Indians also, were continually on the
move through this territory, headed
south from Fort Benton.
After coming to Great Falls, the boy
of IA found it necessary to earn
livelihood, and so took up machine
work, starting apprenticeship in the
old Great Northern shops at Great
Falls. He followed the machinlst trade
until the early twenties, working Tor
short periods at Seattle, Medicine Hat
and Butte.
and ink sketches. In 1897 he met
Charles NJ Russell, well-known later
as the cowboy artist, and the two be.
came close friends. Russell recognized
that Seltzer had great possibilities,
and that he had a much better back
ground in craftsmanship than Russell
himself.
Settler and Russell worked side by
side for many years as team. Seltzer
spent his spare hours in RusselIs
studio, or together they went out into
the hills to study nature and make
their sketches close to the beautiful
outdoor scenery that later Seltzer was
to portray exclusively, in his paintings.
The two men posed for each other,
exchanged ideas and suggestions. and
each gained UNNECESSARILY through
mutual association
Beginning in 1921, Seltzer worked
entirely on his own, and since that
time has devoted himself almost ex-
cluSively to his painting. Russell, who
once said that Settler was one of the
two best water color artists in the
world, died in 1926.
During the last 16 to 20 years, Settler
has painted hundreds Of pictures, and
has made an important name for him
self in the painting of western art. His
work has been exhibited in many large
cities of the country and is widely &C
claimed throughout the nation.
The biggest collection of Settlers
larger and better oils is owned by DR..
Philip G.. Cole of New York City. Or.
DR.. w. j. Butler, state veterinarian in
Helena, was shown some Of Settlers
work, and was greatly impressed with
its quality. The son of Helena man,
DR.. Cole grew up in the west, and has
always been tremendously interested
in paintings of the true west. He has
acquired many of Settlers best oils
and his art collection also includes
numerous paintings by Russell and
other famous western artists.
The second largest collection of
Settlers better oils is owned by Mr..
William H. Marks of Seattle. During
several summers in the late nineties,
Marks spent many hours with Russell
and Settler, taking packhorse trips into
the wilds of the mountain regions in
Montana In 1886 Mr.. Marks loaned
a number of his Settler paintings for
an exhibit in the Washington Athletic
Club of Seattle. Among the pictures
shown were "Blackfeet Scouts" Sheep
camp on the Marias," THE Trail Boss"
The Range Mother" "Prowlers of
the Prairie Grow Scout" and THE