San Francisco Beach
1991 Oil
#C9493
$995
James Southard
This 1991 oil on board beach scene with nudes 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.
1991
Oil on Board
12.75"x19" framed, 11.75"x18" unframed
Signed and dated lower left. Framed in a lightly restored artist-built vintage wood frame with a rustic finish. Excellent vintage condition.
