Emerson Burhart preparing a Mallard duck

Photograph of Columbus, Ohio, artist Emerson Burkhart (1905-1969) preparing a duck that he used as a model for his painting titled "The Dead Duck." Burkhart (1905-1969) was born in Union Township, Ohio. After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1927, he moved to the East Coast and studied art under the direction of Charles Hawthorne. He returned to Ohio in 1931 to teach at the Ohio School of Art in Columbus. He painted over 3,000 pieces during his career, many of which were portraits of Ohio residents. In addition to painting local street scenes and rural landscapes, he is also known for numerous self-portraits. During the Great Depression, thanks to the funding provided by the WPA Federal Art Project, he executed a number of murals. Several can still be found at Stillman Hall on the Ohio State University campus, and one is located at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. He was married to Mary Ann Burkhart, née Martin (1918-1955), a famous New York art model who became an artist herself