Three Artists Who Captured California's Landscapes on Canvas
The varied landscapes of California have motivated artists like William Keith (1838–1911), who relocated to San Francisco in 1859. His wife played a significant role in his involvement with the Bohemian Club and the San Francisco Art Association. A commission from the Northern Pacific Railroad enabled him to seek artistic training in Europe. During this period, he formed a friendship with John Muir, and their excursions together greatly influenced his art, although much of it was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. Albert Bierstadt (1830–1902), who learned in Düsseldorf, created works in Yosemite Valley but eventually faded from memory. Guy Rose (1867–1925), who was inspired by Claude Monet, studied at the California School of Design and led the Stickney Memorial Art School until his passing in 1921.
Key facts
- William Keith immigrated to the US as a child and moved to San Francisco in 1859.
- Keith's first wife Elizabeth Emerson introduced him to watercolors.
- Keith received a commission from the Northern Pacific Railroad to paint Pacific Northwest scenes.
- Keith trained with Düsseldorf romantic landscape painters and the Barbizon School.
- Keith was friends with John Muir and they took camping trips together.
- A significant portion of Keith's work was destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires.
- Albert Bierstadt was born in Solingen, Prussia in 1830 and studied in Düsseldorf.
- Bierstadt camped in Yosemite Valley with journalist Fitz Hugh Ludlow.
- Guy Rose was a California native and son of a state senator.
- Rose studied at the Académie Julian in Paris and was influenced by Claude Monet.
- Rose served as instructor and director at the Stickney Memorial Art School in Pasadena.
Entities
Artists
- William Keith
- Elizabeth Emerson
- Albert Bierstadt
- Guy Rose
- Claude Monet
- John Muir
- Fitz Hugh Ludlow
Institutions
- Bohemian Club
- San Francisco Art Association
- Northern Pacific Railroad
- Düsseldorf school
- Barbizon School
- San Francisco Art Association's California School of Design
- Académie Julian
- Stickney Memorial Art School
Locations
- California
- United States
- New York
- San Francisco
- Pacific Northwest
- Europe
- Germany
- Paris
- Yosemite Valley
- Solingen, Prussia
- Massachusetts
- San Gabriel Valley
- Giverny, France
- Los Angeles
- Pasadena