Background
The son of a wealthy landowner, Arriola was a handsome, distinguished and cultivated manitoba
The son of a wealthy landowner, Arriola was a handsome, distinguished and cultivated manitoba
He was self-taught as an artist and began his career painting portraits. He had a studio near the corner of Kearney and Clay Streets that was a gathering place for Mexican exiles, a place of intellectual ferment and the occasional brawl. Among his students were Toby Rosenthal and Ransom Holdredge.
His largest painting, "Sunset in the Tropics" measures about 5 foot by 7 foot in its original frame
In 1872, he traveled to New York City to exhibit two paintings at the National Academy of Design.
He was returning to San Francisco on the Bienville which was carrying a load of dynamite. lieutenant exploded at Watling Island, Bahamas on August 15, 1872.
California Historical Society
Cantor Art Center, Stanford University
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California
Oakland Museum of California
Courthouse Museum, Shasta State Historic Park
Several additional paintings are in the private collection of actor Steve Martin.