One of Alaska's most beloved artists, Jules Dahlager is often associated with fellow painters Sydney Laurence, Eustace Ziegler, and Ted Lambert as part of the "Alaska Four." Particularly known for his small paintings of Southeast Alaska, these little works have become known as Jules' jewels. Jules Dahlager was born in Brookings, Dakota Territory in 1884. He was a contemporary of Eustace P. Ziegler and Sydney Lawrence but never gained the fame of these two artists. Jules Dahlager was personally encouraged, however, by both men to continue his painting. Jules Dahlager's  paintings are treasured by many.

Born in Brookings, Dakota Territory, Dahlager worked as a cartoonist and newspaperman in Washington State before moving with his wife to Cordova, Alaska in 1921 to work for the "Cordova Daily Times. When Dahlager and his wife moved to Cordova, the majestic beauty of the Alaskan mountains and forest around him gave him the inspiration to paint. He painted numerous landscape paintings and portraits, using his trademark style of palette knife work, never using a brush. Using a wide array of different sized and shaped palette knives, Dahlager was able to achieve a broad variety of landscape, marine, and atmospheric effects while retaining a lively painterly surface in his works. In addition to his many portrait paintings, Dahlager painted several portraits of the well-known Copper River Native woman, “Horse Creek Mary.” “Mary has paid a lot of bills,” Dahlager once told a reporter.