Born in El Paso in 1907, Tom Lea was one of the Southwest’s most prolific artists of his time. Following his studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Lea painted numerous public murals throughout the U.S. and illustrated books. He served as an artist correspondent for Life magazine during World War II and later wrote the best-selling novels The Brave Bulls (1949) and The Wonderful Country (1952). Lea devoted his career to documenting the landscape, history, and people of his native Southwest.

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