Peter Saul was born in San Francisco, California on August 16, 1934 and studied at the California School of Fine Arts.  In 1952 he attended the Art School of Washington University where he discovered the German expressionist Max Beckmann and the work of Francis Bacon.  After living in Holland, Paris and Rome, Peter returned to the USA and settled in Mill Valley, California, then in Chappaqua, New York and finally Austin, Texas where he taught at the University.  Peter Saul's paintings shock people (as he fully intends they should do); "their reverent imagery, the outrageous subject matter, the whacky point of view, the blazing day-glo color, the incendiary message and the confrontational nature of the composition, pressing the viewer to consider political or social problems he doesn't even want to hear about".  Major exhibitions and collections include: the Whitney Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the California State University, Sacramento and the Madison Art Center, Wisconsin.