Landscape painter, etcher. Born in Iona, MI on Nov. 19, 1882. After studying at the Art Students League in NYC under William M. Chase and Charles Warren Eaton, Bartlett had a studio for a few years in Boston. He then moved to Portland, OR where he worked as a commercial artist for the Foster-Kleiser Company. About 1915 he briefly had a studio in San Francisco before making his final move to Los Angeles.

He furthered his art training with Coussens in Paris (1924) and made a special study of how Titian, Turner and Monticelli applied their color. Upon his return he experimented with the use of Venetian tempera as an under painting resulting in a number of imaginative landscapes and still life paintings created in a high decorative fashion with brilliant, jewel-like transparent glowing colors.

In 1927 he held a successful solo show at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.. The following year he opened an art gallery in Los Angeles where he exhibited not only his paintings but those of other local artists.

His decorative style exemplifies the "Eucalyptus School;" however, he also painted many nocturnes and scenes from his travels in Europe. Bartlett was an active member of the Southern California art community for over 40 years and a teacher at Chouinard School of Art. He died in Los Angeles on July 3, 1957.

Member : California Art Club ( president, 1922); Decorative Arts Society; Western Academy; California Watercolor Society (founder, president); Laguna Beach Art Association; California Printmakers Society; Painters & Sculptors of Los Angeles.

Exhibited : Art Institute of Chicago; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1927; Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, 1952 (medal), 1955 (medal); Salons of America.

Works held : Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Laguna Beach Museum of Art; Sacramento State Library; Southwest Museum; Huntington College, San Marino; Los Angeles Public Library, Lafayette Park Branch; Boston Public Library, Print Department; Hollywood High School; George Washington High School.
Comment : Illustrated “The Bush Aflame”.
(Biography courtesy Hughes, Edan Milton, "Artists in California: 1786-1940," San Francisco: Hughes Publishing Company, 1989.)