Robert Griffing

Artist Biography

Robert Griffing grew up in Linesville, Pennsylvania, where he roamed the fields and beaches around Pymatuning Lake collecting stone artifacts, the key factor for his love of history and native cultures. After graduating form the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and a thirty year advertising career, he returned to the subject of his early fascination, the Eastern Woodland Indian of the 18th century. Griffing decided to devote his time and energy to his passion after receiving an enthusiastic response to his early art, prints and posters.

He describes himself as a painter of 18th century scenes that involve or feature the Eastern Woodland Indian. His art, prints and posters focus on a time that marked the beginning years of chaos and uncertainty for the Woodland tribes as they struggled to survive the encroachment of Europeans. In addition to his extensive library of books, historical papers and journals, he is grateful to his historian and re-enactor friends who provide information and act as models for some of the characters in the paintings.

In 1993, U.S. ART Magazine listed Robert Griffing as an artist to watch for in 1994. In '94 that same magazine listed him as one of the Top 25 selling artists of that year. The November 1995 issue of U.S. ART featured an article on Eastern Woodland Indians, and chose Griffing's Logan's Revenge for the Cover. Griffing hopes that his art, prints and posters shed some light on this time period that has been neglected through society's romance with the American West.

Robert Griffing Art, Prints and Posters Collection