Baby Whisperings

Louis Betts was born in Little Rock, AR in 1873. The son of an accomplished painter, Betts was encouraged to pursue art at an early age.

During his childhood, Betts’s family moved to Chicago. As a young artist, he found commercial work as an illustrator.

In his 20s, Betts studied oil painting under his father and submitted work to local exhibitions, including at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Betts spent a year studying portrait painting at the Pennsylvania Academy, under William Merritt Chase, in the early 1900s. Then, a scholarship allowed him to travel abroad to further his studies. He spent time painting in France, England, Holland, Spain, and Italy.

Upon returning to the U.S., Betts found prominence as a portrait painter. He also became a founding member of an artist colony in Park Ridge, IL.

The artist died in 1961.