Antiquarian Art Co.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1930 item #518486 (stock #179)
A beautiful impressionist painting of a view from the Schuylhill river docks in Philadelphia Pa, showing ships moored in the foreground and factories in the background. Oil on board circa 1920 oil signed lower right. This painting just recently discovered is directly from a Great Grandfather who was a friend of Wagner and an artist himself the two shared a studio. Measuring 8x10 inches framed in a contemporary gallery frame. A great example of this artists work a fine addition to any collection.

Biography

Fred Wagner was born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in 1864. He received a scholarship to study art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under Thomas Eakins and in 1884 was made chief Demonstrator of Anatomy there. In 1885, Wagner left the Academy to make a painting tour of San Antonio, Texas, and then went on to Los Angeles, California, where he painted a number of landscapes and portraits. He returned to Philadelphia as an illustrator for the Philadelphia Press until 1902, and then moved to Norristown, Pennsylvania to paint full time. In 1912, Wagner opened a Philadelphia studio and taught classes in outdoor painting at Addingham, and later, at the Pennsylvania Academy's summer school in Chester Springs. His reputation grew, and he took on additional classes at his studio in the Fuller Building. In 1913, Wagner exhibited in the now famous Armory Show in New York City. He exhibited frequently at the Pennsylvania Academy's annual exhibitions, and in 1914, was awarded the Fellowship Prize. He was awarded Honorable Mentions from the Pittsburgh International, the Philadelphia Art Club, and the Carnegie Institute in 1922. His paintings are in the collections of the Cleveland Museum; St. Louis Museum, MO; Fort Wayne Museum, IN; Kalamazoo Museum, MI; Rochester Museum, NY; Worcester Art Museum, MA, and the Reading Museum, PA. Fred Wagner died in Philadelphia in 1940.

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1930 item #1056807 (stock #391)
An original portrait of a beautiful woman oil on canvas signed lower right and dated 1929 in excellent condition.

Biography

Charles Ward Traver was a painter born in Ann Arbor MI on Oct 10 1880. Traver was a resident of Los Angeles in the late 1890's. In 1927 he was in New York City and visited Los Angeles again in 1932. He also lived in Wuanita Hot Springs, Colorado. He was an illustrator for Land Of Sunshine magazine and did covers for Saturday Evening Post. He studied in Germany at the Royal Academy of Munich with Carl Von Marr and Henry Snell. Exhibition venues include the Society of Independent Artists in 1917. There is discrepancy in his birth date information, with both 1880 and 1889 given.

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1950 item #1022515 (stock #339)
An original oil depicting a Brigantine Ship sailing ship off the coast with other vessels and a lighthouse. Oil in board signed lower left in an original arts and crafts era frame. Measuring approx. 10 x 16 inches in excellent condition. A fine example of this artists work. Biography C. Myron Clark (1858-1925) was a painter of mountain landscapes in oil and watercolor, as well as ships (USS Constitution, 1906; Frigate in Tow). He worked mostly in Massachusetts, though his oil landscape of Mounts Skihist and Lilovet was painted north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1921. His work is in the collection of the Peabody Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. A FINE EXAMPLE AND NICE ADDITION TO ANY COLLECTION.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1950 item #470697 (stock #078)
Bruce Crane impressionist landscape oil on art board signed lower left Bruce Crane N.A. measuring 8x6 inches framed in a custom carved and gilt finished frame overall size 11x 9 inches. A beautiful gem of a painting by this highly regarded American impressionist painter would be a fine addition to any collection.

Biography

A popular landscape painter, especially of golden toned landscapes that conveyed fall and winter seasons, Bruce Crane was strongly influenced by the French Barbizon school of painting and had a studio for many years in Old Lyme, Connecticut. He also painted on Long Island, the Catskills, and the Adirondacks. In 1882, he was in France at the colony at Grez-sur-Loring with Birge Harrison, Kenyon Cox, and Alexander Wyant, but he maintained a studio in New York City until he moved to Bronxville in 1914. He took early art lessons from Alexander Wyant in New York City and then studied in Europe. He became a member of the National Academy of Design, the American Water Color Society, the Salmagundi Club, the Society of American Artists, and the Grand Central Art Galleries. One of his great admirers was J. Francis Murphy with whom his work has often been compared. Source: David Michael Zellman, "Three Hundred Years of American Art" Peter Falk, "Who Was Who in American Art"

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Paintings : Watercolor : Pre 1980 item #1342065 (stock #778)
Amazing original watercolor by Stan Glover of Bowen's Wharf Newport Rhode Island painted with incredible detailed realism. Signed on verso and dated 1980 with original bill of sale from NY gallery. Image measuring 15" x 20" Matted size 20" x 25". In excellent condition unframed.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Paintings : Pre 1940 item #1053180 (stock #388)
EMILE BAES "SUR LA PLAGE" oil on board, signed lower right in excellent condition. BELGUIM, C.1935 21.25 X 29 INCHES

Biography

Émile Baes was born in Brussels in either 1879 or 1889. He studied with J. Stallaert at l’Académie des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles. He completed his education with Bonnet and Cabanel in Paris. Baes worked as a painter, illustrator, and writer. He was known for his diverse subject matter including historical paintings, portraits, nudes and landscapes. Most noteworthy among his subject matter are femme fatale figures including Salomé, Messaline, and Cleopatra. The writings of Flaubert and the style and composition of Symbolism influenced the development of his work. Baes’ work exemplifies the Orientaliste compositional elements found in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Parisian work. In 1903 and 1904 he exhibited at the Salon de Bruxelles. Between 1928 and 1933 Baes exhibited at the Salon d’Automne in Paris. He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français from 1929 to 1938 and the Salon des Tuileries between 1933 and 1939. Baes wrote Les dieux sadiques, Princesesse d’ Amour. Baes died in Paris in 1954.

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1950 item #1219404 (stock #604)
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"High Sierra Lake " An original oil painting by Leland Curtis oil on canvas signed lower left and artist label reverse. In excellent original condition with original frame. Measuring 30 x 40 inches overall framed size 36x 46 in. A magnificent American painting. Biography Born in Denver, CO on Aug. 7, 1897, Curtis was a resident of Seattle before moving to Los Angeles in 1914. He was inspired to become an artist by his teacher Rob Wagner at Manual Arts High School. After working as a bank teller and serving in WWI, he soon was able to support himself as an illustrator. He served as official artist of the U.S. Antarctica Expedition in 1939-40 and again in 1957. About 1960 he changed his residence from Los Angeles to Twenty Nine Palms, California, with summers in Moose, Wyoming. An avid mountain climber, his studio in the Grand Tetons was a rustic log cabin. In 1972 he moved to Carson City, Nevada, where he remained until his demise on March 17, 1989. He is best known for his landscapes of the High Sierra, Grand Tetons, and Antarctica. His works won dozens of medals and prizes from the early 1920s in southern California shows. Member: Carmel Art Association; Artland Club. Exh: California Art Club, 1923-27; Laguna Beach Art Association, 1924; California State Fair, 1926; Cannell & Chaffin Gallery (Los Angeles), 1926; Ebell Club (Los Angeles), 1926; Painters & Sculptors of Los Angeles, 1926-31; National Academy of Design, 1930; Toledo Museum, 1931; American Painters & Sculptors, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1931, 1937 (solo), 1946 (solo); Oakland Art Gallery, 1932; Tuesday Afternoon Club (Glendale), 1934; Golden Gate International Exhibition, 1939; California Palace Legion of
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1920 item #519356 (stock #183)
A beautiful impressionist painting of a winter view of German Town Pennsylvania circa 1920 oil on board signed lower left. This painting just recently discovered is directly from a Great Grandfather who was a friend of the Wagner and an artist himself who shared a studio with Wagner. Measuring 8x10 inches framed in a contemporary gallery frame. A great example of this artists work a fine addition to any collection.

Biography

Fredrick Wagner was born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in 1864. He received a scholarship to study art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under Thomas Eakins and in 1884 was made chief Demonstrator of Anatomy there. In 1885, Wagner left the Academy to make a painting tour of San Antonio, Texas, and then went on to Los Angeles, California, where he painted a number of landscapes and portraits. He returned to Philadelphia as an illustrator for the Philadelphia Press until 1902, and then moved to Norristown, Pennsylvania to paint full time. In 1912, Wagner opened a Philadelphia studio and taught classes in outdoor painting at Addingham, and later, at the Pennsylvania Academy's summer school in Chester Springs. His reputation grew, and he took on additional classes at his studio in the Fuller Building. In 1913, Wagner exhibited in the now famous Armory Show in New York City. He exhibited frequently at the Pennsylvania Academy's annual exhibitions, and in 1914, was awarded the Fellowship Prize. He was awarded Honorable Mentions from the Pittsburgh International, the Philadelphia Art Club, and the Carnegie Institute in 1922. His paintings are in the collections of the Cleveland Museum; St. Louis Museum, MO; Fort Wayne Museum, IN; Kalamazoo Museum, MI; Rochester Museum, NY; Worcester Art Museum, MA, and the Reading Museum, PA. Fred Wagner died in Philadelphia in 1940.

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1900 item #1190465 (stock #590)
A fine pair of early American portraits of a Handsome young man and beautiful woman. Oil on canvas relined some minor restorations nicely framed Measuring 22 x 18 inches framed size 26.5 x 22.5 inches. A wonderful decorative pair would enhance any interior.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1900 item #1047851 (stock #376)
A Beautiful antique French oil painting on canvas by the famed French artist Baron Jean Antoine Gudin.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1980 item #553613 (stock #203)
A fine western bronze of two cow girls by Edward Fraughton born 1939 a Utah artist is a highly regarded sculptor of western bronzes. This example of two charming western girls is finely detailed and in excellent condition. Measuring approx. 12.5 inches tall signed and numbered 8 of 30 and dated 1971. A bronze by Fraughton sold at for 10,350 at Altermann Galleries on 10/23/04. A fine example would be a nice addition to any collection of western or Utah art.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1900 item #1110565 (stock #482)
A fine original oil painting signed lower left oil on canvas painted in his time studying in France measuring approx. 16 x 28 in excellent condition.

biography

Born in New York City in 1836, Ransome Holdredge came to California via the Isthmus of Panama in 1858 and worked as a draftsman at the Mare Island Naval Yard. His paintings of the 1860s and early 1870s were signed "Holdridge" and were done in the realistic style of the Hudson River School. During this period he maintained a studio in San Francisco's Donahoe-Kelly Bank Bldg and exhibited locally. In 1874 he and Hiram Bloomer held a joint sale of their paintings to finance European studies. He left in that year and spent about two years studying in France. His obituary states that he was a field artist for Scribner's publications and was with Major Reno's troops at the time of the Custer massacre in 1876. After his studies in France, he returned to San Francisco with a distinctly different style. Paintings done after that time show the influence of the Barbizon School and were signed "Holdredge." His works were in great demand during his lifetime, received rave reviews by the local press, and were often considered superior to those done by William Keith. Holdredge traveled extensively throughout the Northwest, Southwest, the Rockies and western Canada, often living for long periods of time among the various Indian tribes. Due to his malnutrition and alcoholism, his paintings done during the latter part of his life were not of good quality. Like his friend Jules Tavernier, he made considerable money as an artist but did not manage his money well. He died penniless at the Alameda County (CA) Infirmary in April 1899 and was buried at public expense. ASSOCIATIONS San Francisco Art Association (cofounder) Bohemian Club EXHIBITIONS California State Fair, 1881-83 Mechanics' Institute (SF), 1868, 1880, 1886 COLLECTIONS Bohemian Club Oakland Museum Society of California Pioneers Orange County Museum California Historical Society Nevada Museum (Reno) Bancroft Library (UC Berkeley) Crocker Museum (Sacramento) Oregon Historical Society Source: Edan Hughes,

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1960 item #1026244 (stock #373)
A fine original oil painting on canvas by Clifford Park Baldwin titled "A Sailing Sunday" . Measuring 16 x 20 inches in a quality gallery frame.

Biography

Painter, illustrator. Born in Cincinnati, OH on Feb. 14, 1889. Baldwin moved to southern California in 1911 and had homes in Montrose and Carlsbad. He studied painting locally with Jean Mannheim, Paul Lauritz, and George Demont Otis. While on the staff of the Southwest Museum from 1933-41, he illustrated the books Gypsum Cave and Navajo Weaving. Baldwin died in Oceanside, CA on July 3, 1961. Member: Painters & Sculptors of LA; Carlsbad-Oceanside Art Club. Exh: Eagle Rock Artists, 1931. In: Southwest Museum (LA). Eagle Rock Sentinel, 10-2-1931; CA&A; AAA 1933; Sam; SCA; AAW; WWAA 1938-62; WWPC 1951.

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Drawings : Pen : Pre 1950 item #1285753 (stock #685)
Serge Ivanhoff Ink and watercolor figural studies signed and and noted Paris. image 8"x10.5" framed 17" x 19". Serge Petrovitch Ivanoff was born in Moscow in 1893 and showed artistic ability from a young age. On the family’s move to St. Petersburg, he took the opportunity to further his artistic studies by enrolling at the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1917, at the height of the Russian Revolution. The turmoil of the aftermath of these events prompted Serge Ivanoff, with his wife and two young children, to move permanently to Paris in 1922. A talented portraitist, he quickly established himself in Paris and soon had the celebrities of the day commissioning him to paint their portraits, including Pope Pius XI, the dancer and choreographer Serge Lifar, poet Paul Valery, composer Arthur Honegger, and many notable Russian exiles now making their home in Paris. Between 1930 and 1950, he also regularly provided illustrations for the French journal L’Illustration, and painted a series of luminous and lyrical nudes. In 1950 Serge Ivanoff moved to the U.S.A., again specialising in portraiture, including Eleanor Roosevelt and the diplomat Jefferson Caffery amongst his subjects. However, by the 1960s he had returned to Paris where he continued to exhibit regularly at the Salon des Indépendants, receiving a Gold Medal from the Minister of Cultural Affairs, André Malraux, in 1966. Serge Ivanoff died in Paris in 1983.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1980 item #1053162 (stock #386)
A fine impressionist painting of a soccer game goal save initialed lower right A.P. Oil on canvas measuring Approx. 36 x 40 in excellent condition framed in a quality gilt frame. Provenance: the estate of the artist. Biography SIMONPIETRI, Alfred H. (1916-2001). Painter. Born in Puerto Rico on June 20, 1916. While serving in the Army during World War Two, Simonpietri was in a plane crash. After the war he settled into a home in the Sunset District of San Francisco where he remained until his demise on December 2, 2001. A talented artist, he created hundreds of paintings, mostly nudes and still lifes. Biography provided courtesy of Edan Hughes Author Artists in California 1850-1940
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1950 item #1088531 (stock #419)
Original oil on board by Drake Seaman of a young Navajo girl named Rita. Signed lower right and signed and titled on the reverse by the artist with the artists address in Arizona. Measuring image size 8 x 10 in excellent condition. Drake Seaman, Southwestern artist, was born 1935 and died December 2000. He was a resident of Williams, Arizona and painted in sumi ink, acrylics, and oil using brush and knife applications. Seaman's subject matter includes cowboys, horse, cattle and landscapes. He also painted murals with Ray Strong. One of Seaman's landscape murals is in a Seventh Day Adventist Church in Santa Barbara, California. A mural titled "Prodigal Son" is in St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Williams, Arizona. He studied at the Kachina Art School with Jay Datus. From 1969 to 1970, he was an instructor of landscape painting at Brroks Fine Arts Center in Santa Barbara. Two paintings are in the permanent collection at the Phippen Museum in Prescott, Arizona. Much of his collection resides with his wife in Williams, AZ. Seaman is believed to have associated with Flagstaff Activist Network (FAN) a conservationist group that supports preserving habitats and native cultures of the Southwest. Source: Katy Holditch "Who's Who in American Art", 1997-1998
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1900 item #1057675 (stock #394)
An original oil on canvas of a early American trotter horse and buggy by Thomas Kirby Van Zandt oil on canvas signed and dated measuring approx. 24 x 30 in good antique condition.

Biography

Van Zandt, born in New Scotland, Albany County, New York in 1814, was a well-known painter of the horses of wealthy New Yorkers, including Leland Stanford. The Stanford Museum has a half dozen of T.K. Van Zandt's work in its collection. In 1859 he was awarded a silver medallion for "Best Animal Painting in Oil" by the New York State Agricultural Society. His son, William Garrett Van Zandt, was also known for his equine subjects. A second son, Bleecker (1855-1915) was a sculptor. Thomas Kirby Van Zandt died in 1886.

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1900 item #1022547 (stock #341)
A beautiful antique Italian original painting gouache on paper in an exquisite French matte and frame. Measuring Approx. 6x8 overall framed size 11x13 inches. In excellent condition one of a pair see #342 sold together or separate.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1940 item #1090485 (stock #424)
August Ludecke-Cleve (1868-1957): A beautiful antique German impressionist Landscape of cows in a meadow with a view through the trees. Bold brush work and bright colors. This is a very good and large example of this artists work. Measuring approx. 32 x 43 inches in excellent condition. Provenance: Stanford Museum Sale. Artist Biography: August Ludecke-Cleve first studied at the Art Academy in Dusseldorf then at the Munich Academy. Before the second world war (his studio was bombed) he had exhibitions in Dusseldorf. Ludecke-Cleve was better known for his landscape paintings before the war but from the 1930's onwards cows and tulips became his trade mark.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1970 item #1107550 (stock #473)
"Summer at the 18th Pebble Beach "

A fine original watercolor painting of Pebble Beach Golf course Carmel California by James March Phillips a renowned California watercolorist. Measuring approx. 12 x 20 inches in excellent condition beautifully framed.

biography

James March Phillips was born in Fresno California in 1913. His art career began in the 1940's while attending Jean Turner Art Academy in San Francisco where is studied under such prominent artists as Louis J. Rogers, Alfred Owles, and J. Paget Fredricks. His paintings were sold in numerous galleries in the west during the 1940's and 1950's. In recent years his paintings have become quite valuable and have reached prices as high as $13,000 at San Francisco auction house Bonhams Butterfields. This is one of a pair please view the other listing of the 7th hole Pebble Beach.

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1950 item #1104268 (stock #469)
A fine original Oil painting on canvas board signed lower right by Professor Starcce. Sailing boats in harbor in original frame.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Prints : Pre 1700 item #1264426 (stock #640)
Original Besler Botanical engraving with period hand coloring c.1613 text on verso. Basilius Besler¹s magnificent engravings are the first large-folio natural history botanicals. His work, Hortus Eystettensis (Garden of Eichstätt), is man¹s earliest documentation of a specific garden and is the oldest of all of the great botanicals. Over 1,000 varieties of flowers are depicted in 367 exquisitely engraved and colored plates. Plate mark image 18.5"L x 15.25"W. overall sheet size 21"L x 16"W. Unframed. Condition: Good antique condition some age yellowing small hole upper left commensurate of age.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1940 item #1089944 (stock #423)
A original oil painting of the The Copenhagen (København) was a Danish sailtraining vessel rigged as a five-masted steel auxiliary barque(1921–1929). It was, according to Alan Villiers, the largest and finest sailing vessel in the world at the time it vanished. Oil on canvas signed lower right indistinctly and titled measuring 17 X 25 image framed size approx. 23 X 31. In good antique condition some age cracking. A nice historical decorative painting.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1900 item #1113717 (stock #484)
A fine original watercolor by James David Smillie of a street view in Nice France signed lower right and titled and dated Nice Feb. 1893 lower left. On the reverse is an exhibit label from a exhibit at the American Watercolor Society. A fine example of this important American Artist. Measuring approx 8 x 12 image and framed in a fine gold leafed period frame overall 16 x 20. Provenance Hirschel Adler Gallery New York

Biography

A native of New York and the son of an engraver, James David Smillie earned his early reputation for his etching skills but later for watercolor landscapes. He began etching at age 8, learning from his father, James Smillie (1807-1885). At age 14, he did a set of plates illustrating John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost. He had a job as a bank note engraver, and then he and his father had a business, collaborating as engravers with a specialty of bank-notes. They also did the engravings for the 1857 Mexican Boundary Survey Report. James David Smillie helped organize the New York Etching Club, and he was the U.S. representative to supply examples of American etchers' work to the Painters-Etchers Society of London. Although he continued working with etching, drypoint, aquatint and lithography, in 1865, he began doing landscape painting and was especially interested in mountain scenery. Smillie traveled in California in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in Colorado in the Rocky Mountains, and in the eastern United States in the Catskills and Adirondacks. From these trips he did illustrations that were published in 1872 in the magazine Picturesque America. In 1881, Smillie got married, and the couple had two sons. By 1884, he was in France, and spent much time there doing prints of landscapes, figures, portraits and cityscapes. Between 1888 and 1896, he produced a set of drypoint floral still-life prints. James David Smillie founded the American Watercolor Society and served as president and treasurer. He also taught classes at the National Academy of Design in 1868 and from 1894 to 1903.

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1940 item #702639 (stock #274)
A W Best Navajo indian camp near bear mt. Arizona oil on canvas signed lower right measuring 8x10 inches framed in a hand carved 24k gold leaf frame approx. 16 x 18 overall. In excellent condition.

biography

Arthur William BEST 
1859 - 1935 Arthur William Best was born in Mount Pleasant, Canada on July 17, 1859. He and his brother Harry attended public school in Mount Pleasant and were members of a small band. Arthur played the cornet; Harry, the violin. When the band broke up in Oregon, the brothers learned to paint before moving to San Francisco in 1895. Arthur and his wife Alice established the Best Art School at 1625 California Street and a residence at 309 Broderick. He was a staff artist for the San Francisco Examiner (1904-06). Arthur was commissioned by Southern Pacific Railroad to paint pictures of the Southwest and Mexico for travel and tourist publicity in 1905. Many of his oils and watercolors were destroyed by the earthquake and fire of 1906. His landscapes include depictions of the Arizona desert, Grand Canyon and the Sierra Nevada. He died in Oakland on January 26, 1935. Member: San Francisco Art Ass'n; Berkeley League of Fine Arts; Bohemian Club. Exhibited: Oregon State Fair, 1891 (first prize); Mark Hopkins Art Institute, 1898, 1904; San Francisco Art Ass'n, 1904-16; San Francisco Artists Society, 1905; Berkeley Art Ass'n, 1908; California State Fairs (awards); Alaska-Yukon Expo (Seattle), 1909 (bronze medal); Del Monte Art Gallery, 1910, 1912; Sorosis Club, 1913. Works held: Oakland Museum; Phoenix Museum; University of Oregon; Charles M. Russell Gallery (Great Falls, MT); Santa Fe Railroad.

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1930 item #1024515 (stock #358)
Beautiful Egyptian street scene an Original oil painting on board signed lower right measuring approx. 20 x 24 in excellent condition. Biography LEONID GECHTOFF, 1883-1941 

Leonid Gechtoff was born in Odessa, Russia, in 1883, an only child of parents already in their forties and not particularly well off financially.  After his art school training in Russia, where he probably first met his close life-long friend David Burliuk, he and his parents fled from their homeland when he was in his twenties, rather than have him face possible conscription into the army. Cairo proved to be a haven for several years and Gechtoff painted many city and genre scenes of Egypt in his heavily impastoed style, bringing him acclaim in the Orientalist-enamored European art world as well.

Gechtoff always felt most influenced by the work of Vincent van Gogh, however, and this led him to travel to Holland where Dutch-born van Gogh painted in his early years, though not in the colorful later style Gechtoff most admired. There he established good connections which led to gallery shows in Amsterdam, and at one he met his future Russian-born wife Etya while she was on vacation from her pre-medical studies in Germany. Her family was well-to-do and supportive of the young couple, so they were able to wed and settle in Holland initially for about a year, around 1917. Several Alpine landscapes indicate painting trips in more mountainous parts of Europe too. Both Leonid and his wife were fluent in several languages.

The Gechtoffs soon moved to Indonesia, then a major South Pacific colony under Dutch control, hoping that the warmer climate would be better for Etya's health. The lush volcanic landscapes were strongly appealing to the artist as well. They lived in Java for about two years, in 1918 and 1919, and enjoyed traveling and collecting throughout the region during painting trips.

By 1920 they were living in Manila, and in early 1921 they planned a visit to see two of Etya's brothers in Pennsylvania later that year.  Once in America, the Gechtoffs found themselves persuaded to stay and settle in Philadelphia, with both becoming US citizens.  Leonid's major patron and benefactor was either a member of the family of Dutch-born philanthropist Edward Bok or Bok himself. Along with inclusion in various group exhibitions, his work was featured in a solo show at the Philadelphia Art Alliance in the early 1930's.

Gechtoff had achieved substantial success throughout the 1920's from his landscape paintings near his home in Philadelphia, and had also purchased a summer home on Cape May, New Jersey, where he painted many coastal scenes.  Unfortunately, he made large investments in the stock market in the latter years of the decade, and these disappeared almost overnight in the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The family now included young Sonia, born in 1926, and soon her sister, born in 1933.

With their fortunes in decline, like so many artists in the Depression of the 1930's, they sold the Cape May house but still were able find suitable rentals at the shore for their summer sojourns, and otherwise still lived in downtown apartments in Philadelphia. Gechtoff's works began to depict wintry landscapes along with his bright rocky seascapes and still lifes.

Gechtoff continued vigorously painting in his vivid and distinctive style, a blending of post-Impressionism and expressionism, until his health became a problem in 1940, with the stress of high blood pressure and complications. He died in 1941 at the age of 58. His widow later moved to San Francisco and ran an influential exhibition space in San Francisco called the East-West Gallery, while daughter Sonia became a well-known artist currently living in New York City. 
Gechtoff is listed in the Archives of American Artists, part of the Smithsonian Institution.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1900 item #1022549 (stock #342)
A beautiful antique Italian original painting gouache on paper in an exquisite French matte and frame. Measuring Approx. 6x8 overall framed size 11x13 inches. In excellent condition one of a pair see #341 sold together or separate.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1960 item #1270882 (stock #659)
Parisian Girl by Roger Etienne (1922s - 1980s) Etienne was born in Paris in 1922 and as far as I know is still living in Southern California. He is a well listed and popular French impressionist who worked in a variety of media, oil, gouache, pastel and or charcoal, some of his paintings are a collage with pieces of French newspaper incorporated in them. He painted landscapes, pictures of wide eyed children, nudes, and clowns. The Internet has revealed that he may have worked at Pablo Picasso's Workshop and Marc Chagall may have commissioned him to do work for the Paris Opera House. He has had work in museums in Paris, Zurich and Brussels. Etienne lived and was active in both France and the USA.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1900 item #1285736 (stock #683)
AFTER NIKOLAI IVANOVICH LIBERIKH (1828-1883), A RUSSIAN BRONZE OF A BEAR STANDING ON HIND LEGS with signature and with a plaque engraved in Russian "Killed by the Emperor near / Lisin 9 March 1865" Height 21 1/4 in. 54 cm Condition: excellent some age discoloration an early 20th century casting. Provenance: Private Collection Stanford Ca. Dimensions: Approx. 21" x 10" x 9"
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1950 item #1201143 (stock #598)
A fine oil on board by Dennis Henry Osborne a cubist style modernist feel to this depiction of a fishing trawler at dry dock. Signed lower left with gallery label on reverse.

biography

Born in Portsmouth, England in 1919, Dennis H. Osborne spent three and a half years as a prisoner of war in Italy and Germany. After the war he pursued his art studies in England and exhibited at the Royal Academy. In 1952 he emigrated to Canada but returned to the United Kingdom to take up the post of Head of the Art Department in Portadown Technical College. For many years prior to his retirement he was Head of the Art Department at Lisnagarvey High School, Lisburn.

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1950 item #986898 (stock #298)
Claude Buck self portrait of the artist c.1940 oil on board 16 x 20 inches. Provenance: the wife of the artist Leslie Buck. Biography. A leading member of the avant-garde Symbolism* artists movement in Chicago, Claude Buck moved there from his birth place of New York City in 1919. He was known for his "fantastic, sometimes disturbing images with allegorical and literary themes" (Kennedy 97) drawn from writings of Edgar Allen Poe, operas by Richard Wagner, classical mythology and "New Testament" writings from the Bible. Some of these early paintings had nude figures rendered in Classical* style to express abstract themes developed through dream-like landscapes and disregard of relative scale or relatedness between the figures. These paintings had Luminist* elements achieved with light-toned paints worked with transparent glazes. In the 1920s to earn money by gaining public favor and also expressing his increasing disdain for modernism, Buck did a number of hyperrealist* portraits, figures and still lifes. These proved popular and aligned him with the opponents of abstraction and their Society for Sanity in Art* movement whose headquarters were in Chicago. Buck taught drawing and painting at the Chicago Academy of Fine Art from 1921 to 1926, and at the Art Institute, where he took over classes of George Bellows. In New York City before coming to Chicago, Buck had a reputation as a radical artist. He took his first art training from his father, William R. Buck, from the time he was ages three to fourteen, and then until he was twenty-two, he studied at the National Academy of Design* where he was nicknamed "Kid Hassam" because his painting reminded viewers of that of Claude Hassam. Buck worked as a scene painter in the theatre and at the Willet Stained Glass company, and in 1914 began portrait commissions to earn money. In New York, he founded a group named the Introspectives, which reflected his own problems with melancholy during that period. Members, holding their first exhibition at the Whitney Studio in 1917, were artists who expressed their personal feelings and experiences and included Raymond Jonson and Emil Armin. In this phase of his career, Buck was focused on Old World styles of Leonardo da Vinci, Ralph Blakelock and Albert Pinkham Ryder. In 1929, the Arts Council of New York voted him one of the top one-hundred painters in the United States.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1920 item #1008294 (stock #326)
A fine California Impressionist painting of a view of Mt. Tam with lupine and poppies in the fore ground a small cabin to the left. Oil on canvas signed lower right measuring Approx. 15 x 20 inches in excellent condition but for some age cracking. Biography : Manuel Valencia was born in Marin County, California on October 30, 1856 on the family hacienda called Rancho San Jose, which is now Hamilton Field. A member of one of California's earliest families, Manuel was named after his grandfather who came to California with the Anza Party in 1774 and became administrator of the Presidio in San Francisco. The Valencia’s were given many land grants in the San Francisco Bay area and a street near Mission Dolores is named in honor of his family. Manuel attended Santa Clara College and then established a studio in San Francisco. He began painting when he was quite young and remained a self-taught artist except for a few lessons with Jules Tavernier locally and in Mexico City. The earthquake and subsequent fires in 1906 caused the Valencia’s to move down the peninsula to San Jose, however he commuted daily to his San Francisco studio and worked as a staff artist for the "San Francisco Chronicle" and as an illustrator for the Salvation Army Newspaper. A prolific painter, Valencia is best known for his landscapes and historic scenes of Northern California, which often included nocturnal adobes, missions and pueblos. Following an operation, he died in Sacramento on July 6, 1935. His ashes were scattered on Mount Tamalpais. Source: Edan Hughes, Artists in California, 1786-1940
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Paintings : Oil : Pre 1950 item #1020896 (stock #331)
A beautiful original oil on canvas board signed lower left and titled on reverse "Pirates Cove" in excellent all original condition with original frame measuring 20 x 24 inches. BIOGRAPHY Born in Los Angeles, CA on Oct. 1, 1881, the son of Esiquia and Miguel de Villa. His parents came to Los Angeles from Baja California in 1846 when the area was still part of Mexico. Raised in an artistic milieu, his mother was an amateur singer and his father an artist with a studio on the Plaza. Villa studied locally under Louise Garden-MacLeod at the School of Art & Design in 1905, and later taught there after studying for one year in England and Germany. He established a studio in Los Angeles and worked as a commercial artist and illustrator for the Santa Fe Railroad for 40 years. He died in Los Angeles on May 7, 1952. Equally facile with oil, watercolor, pastel, and charcoal, he produced scenes of the Old West, Indians, missions, and the Mexican vaqueros. Villa's most famous work is the emblem of the Santa Fe Railroad, The Chief. Exh: Alaska-Yukon Expo (Seattle), 1909; PPIE, 1915 (gold medal for mural); Royar’s Frame Shop (LA), 1934; El Paseo Inn (LA), 1935; Foundation of Western Art (LA), 1935; Ebell Gallery (LA), 1937; Associated Artists (LA), 1941. In: Citizen's Trust & Savings Bank, LA (mural); LACMA; Fort Worth Museum; Santa Fe Railroad; New Rialto Theatre, Phoenix, AZ (mural); Orange Co. (CA) Museum.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1980 item #1066995 (stock #412)
A fine epic size original oil by this renowned artist measuring 24 x 40 oil on canvas signed lower right in excellent condition.

Biography

Alexander Dzigurski traveled widely in the United States , painting in the Rocky Mountains, Grand Tetons, Glacier National Park, New England and along the coasts. Dzigurski started his career in his native Yugoslavia by decorating the interior of churches, which he continued in the U.S. after he and his family had fled from Tito's communist regime via Italy. By 1952 he could afford to travel and paint landscapes, settling in California. He Studied at the School of Art, Belgrade and the Academy of Art, Munich, Germany. He was a member of various organizations including: Fine Art Institute of Los Angeles; American Artists Professional League; and Society of Western Artists. His work has been exhibited in the following museums: Belgrade Art Museum, Yugoslavia; Ford Museum, Detroit; and Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1930 item #1282296 (stock #675)
Fred Wagner Pastel of a bay landscape with sail boats in the distance. Archival framed.
All Items : Archives : Fine Art : Pre 1910 item #444667 (stock #014)
William Keith California Landscap at evening sunset through California Oaks with cows at a distant watering hole. A dramatic moody classic Keith painting oil on canvas signed lower right William Keith and lower left SF for San Francisco. Measuring 18x14 inches framed in a modern gold leaf gallery frame 26x32 inches overall. A fine example of this important early California and American painter such an influential artist and teacher he is sometimes referred to the Dean of California Artists. Works by Keith have sold for as much as $121,000 at auction.

Artist Biography.

Brought to New York City in 1850, William Keith was apprenticed to a wood engraver in 1856 working for "Harper’s" magazine. In 1858 (or 1859) he visited California for "Harper’s" and then after a trip to Great Britain, settled in California as an engraver in 1862. He began exhibiting paintings in 1864 in San Francisco where he opened his studio, after having been taught painting by his wife. The Northern Pacific Railroad commissioned him to do landscape paintings along its route about 1868. In 1869-70 he studied in Dusseldorf, Germany; in 1871-72, he shared a studio in Boston with William Hahn; and in 1872, he returned to California. A nature lover, he found there was “scarcely a mountain in three-fourths of California where he had not kept vigil for days as a time, studying every detail of color, flower, rock, forge, shadow, and sunshine.” Keith became Thomas Hill’s rival in monumental landscapes, saying, “I’d be satisfied if I could reach the power and success of Tom Hill.” When George Inness visited California in 1890, he worked in Keith’s studio for many weeks, and they made sketching trips together. The result for Keith was an influenced style reflecting the subjective rather than the spectacular. His "Majesty of the Oaks" painting sold at auction in New York City in 1903 for $2,300., and about the same time "Glory of the Heaven" sold at auction in San Francisco for $12,000. Of medium height with unruly curly hair, Keith had his studio next to the live oaks on the Berkeley campus where it was the center of the university-oriented California culture. The 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed 2,000 of Keith’s works.