Born in Chicago, Illinois, George Gardener Symons became a member of the St. Ives colony of artists in Cornwall, England, where he adopted the practice of painting en plein air. Upon his return to the United States, the artist changed his surname from Simon to Symons due to concerns for anti-Semitism. Symons' primary studio was located in Brooklyn, New York, though he also painted in California, Massachusetts and Illinois. His work can be found in numerous museum collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.