Dewey Albinson (1898-1971) was an American artist born in Minneapolis. Albinson established an interest and talent in sketching and painting after a childhood accident involving him getting shot in the leg and having his bicycle stolen at the age of 12. Then in 1919, he attended the Minneapolis School of Art and then the Art Students League in New York. From 1923 to 1925, he studied with cubist masters in Paris and also spent time in Italy around the end of that decade. However, nature had a strong influence in his works as he explored the wilderness areas of Minnesota at a young age. In 1922, he painted the Spirit Little Cedar Tree, an important cultural artifact of the Ojibwe people, during his visit to what is now part of the Grand Portage National Monument. That painting was known as "The Witch Tree", and was printed in the Minneapolis newspapers. During the 1920s and 30s, Albinson would travel throughout Minnesota and paint scenes of the towns and natural beauty. He would also receive commissions from mining and railroad companies to paint scenes of their activities, even though he was outspoken about how industrial development affected natural areas. From 1926 to 1929, he was named head of the painting department at the St. Paul School of Art, and after his visit to Italy, would become the project director for the Minnesota State Department of Education. He would express interest in this work, but also frustration due to the lack of funding for issues he addressed. He was soon burnt out from this experience and lacked the time to paint, so he moved to Quebec, then to New Jersey. Albinson would eventually move to Mexico permanently in the 1940s, where he passed away. Although his peak as an artist was around the mid 1930s, he still continued to paint for decades after. He would spend many years painting works relating to Cervantes' Don Quixote. Albinson's work usually consisted of using art tones and pastels and used strong, expressionist brushstrokes. Although he wasn't a cubist painter, his time in Paris majorly influenced his style, as he would provide a strong emphasis in geometric elements in his composition. Critics did note that while his works of the 1920s and 30s were powerful and beautiful, his fundamental approach to painting did not evolve.
