At a time when interest in all forms of regional Impressionism continues to grow, California Impressionism commands the greatest interest of all. The richly colored, exuberantly painted canvases by such artists as Franz Bischoff, Selden Gile, Richard Miller, Guy Rose, and William Wendt are sought with increasing avidity by collectors and museums alike, in a thriving market that extends far beyond the West Coast.
In his wide-ranging introductory essay, Dr. Gerdts explores the context of California Impressionism, surveying the movement's sources abroad, the most influential exhibitions in America, and the critical responses to the art and the artists. Will South supplies a graceful chronological narrative of the movement, starting with its roots in the Hudson River School and other American art and tracing the trajectory of California Impressionism from its innovations in the late 1800s to its final days in the 1920s and '30s. Artists' biographies and an extensive bibliography complement the texts, making this book an invaluable resource.
