Portrait of the 1890--1892 LDS Paris Art Mission: An andragogical perspective

In July, 1890 Utah artists John Hafen, Lorus Pratt and John Fairbanks traveled to Paris, France, joining fellow artist John Clawson in studying art at the Academie Julian. These were followed by Edwin Evans and Herman Haag. The Latter-day Saint (LDS or Mormon) Church financed the art education of these artists with the expectation that they would return to Utah and paint murals in the Salt Lake Temple which was nearing completion. This venture came to be known as the Paris Art Mission.;The problem addressed by this study is the paucity of literature regarding the complex circumstances surrounding the inception of the LDS Paris Art Mission, what the mission reveals about the nature of adult learning and of art education in Paris and in Utah in the late Nineteenth Century, and the lasting impact of the mission on Utah and LDS art.;Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, Portraiture, this study examines from an andragogical perspective the social and artistic climate in the Utah Territory before 1890, the experience of the art missionaries and their families during their Paris experience, and their legacy to LDS and Utah art history.;The study disputes the use of the term impressionist to describe the post-Paris style of these artists, showing no direct influence of French impressionism, but rather a direct stylistic link to the Barbizon School of painting. It ties the experience of the artists as adult learners to the andragogical issue of self-direction, and illuminates challenges adults face in balancing educational pursuits with professional and personal responsibilities.