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Coastline to Skyline: The Philip H. Greene Gift of California Watercolors, 1930-1960

Name: Coastline to Skyline: The Philip H. Greene Gift of California Watercolors, 1930-1960
Author: Barbara J. MacAdam
ISBN: 9780944722367

by Barbara J. MacAdam, Paul J. Karlstrom, Hood Museum of Art Staff

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Overview

The so-called California-style watercolorists, an informal but closely knit group, were most active from the late 1920s through the 1950s. They achieved national recognition for their generally large-scale watercolors painted with broad, saturated washes in a manner that was bold and expressive, yet representational. Among the best-known of the group were Millard Sheets, Phil Dike, Rex Brandt, Barse Miller, Emil Kosa Jr, and Dong Kingman. These artists celebrated their environs through images of the state's dramatic coastline, agricultural and fishing traditions, public amusements, and bustling cities. In keeping with the populist, nationalistic mood of the era, they captured unpretentious, "typically American" subjects that transcended their regional content to appeal to audiences coast-to-coast.

Synopsis

California-style watercolors are examined within the artistic and cultural context of their day

About the Author, Barbara J. MacAdam

BARBARA J. MACADAM is the Jonathan L. Cohen Curator of American Art at the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College. PAUL J. KARLSTROM is former West Coast regional director of the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art.