Charles Reiffel. Charles Reiffel was an American artist born in Indianapolis, Indiana, who began his career as a lithographer in Cincinnati, Ohio, a trade he pursued for several decades.
Despite his long involvement in lithography, Reiffel developed a passion for painting and gradually shifted his focus to fine art in the early 20th century. His early painting work took place in New York, where he was influenced by both American and European Impressionist movements.
In 1925, Reiffel moved to San Diego, California, where he became known for his landscape paintings, which frequently depicted the rugged terrain of Southern California. Reiffel painted en plein air, using a modernist approach that emphasized the interplay of bold color and dynamic, textured brushstrokes to convey the energy of natural landscapes.
His subjects included mountains, canyons, and rural scenes, often reflecting the dramatic contrasts in light and shadow found in California's varied geography. His work was exhibited in prominent galleries and earned him recognition from major institutions such as the National Academy of Design.
Reiffel continued painting until his death in San Diego in 1942, leaving behind a significant body of work that contributed to the California Impressionist movement and American landscape painting.