Dreamy California Hills
Mid Century Watercolor
#C9484
$575
James Southard
This mid 20th century watercolor on paper California landscape is by the artist James Bruce Southard (1921-2007). Southard was a New York-born painter, printmaker, and master draftsman whose work bridged the traditions of European Renaissance painting and modern American Impressionism. Born, raised, and educated in New York, he studied at the National Academy of Design, Beaux-Arts Institute of Design, and Art Students League of New York, where his teachers included the distinguished figurative painters Reginald Marsh and Robert Brackman. A consummate technician with a profound appreciation for traditional craftsmanship, Southard frequently prepared his own paints, constructed frames, and created hand-gilded finishes. An accomplished printmaker, he regarded figure drawing as the foundation of his artistic practice. His paintings of modern figures gathered in parks and along beaches recall the grand figural compositions of Renaissance and Baroque masters, particularly Peter Paul Rubens, while his exploration of light, color, and the solidity of form reveals a strong affinity with Paul Cézanne. After relocating to California in the 1950s, he exhibited extensively, including through San Francisco's Maxwell Gallery. His work is represented in collections including the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the San Francisco Art Commission, and the Yonkers Art Museum.
Mid 20th Century
Watercolor on Paper
15"x12" framed, 10.25"x6.5" unframed
Signed lower left. Framed in a restored vintage wood frame using 8-ply archival matting behind conservation clear glass. Excellent vintage condition.
