William Joseph McCloskey

Born in Philadelphia, William Joseph McCloskey and his wife, Alberta, brought their East Coast artistic training to Los Angeles, where they opened a studio in Child's Grand Opera House. Today, McCloskey is best remembered for his paintings of citrus fruits, which he started after he established his reputation as an accomplished portrait painter; we might wonder if, in fact, these pictures are less still lifes than “portraits” of bright, ripe oranges.