Oaks near San Rafael, California, is a pastoral scene by the "Dean of California Artists," William Keith. His early career was marked by epic, realistic paintings, often of mountain scenes. His later works, and this is one, are moodier and more suggestive. In this one, a darkened, wooded path leads to a sunlit field with grazing cows in the distance. The change in style likely reflects years spent studying in Europe. This scene was painted in 1887, after his return. Keith had a studio in San Francisco, and of the roughly 4,000 paintings he created, half were destroyed in the fire ensuing from the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. $38,000.
George Henry Smillie offers another take on the spectacular scenery of Yosemite in this 1915 work, Half Dome Yosemite. Smillie spent most of his life in the East, painting New England and New York scenes. However, he also traveled a fair amount, and one of those destinations was the Yosemite Valley. In this painting, a brightly lit, stark mountain outcropping dwarfs the Sequoia trees surrounding its base. $350,000.
The Arader San Francisco Gallery may be reached at 415-788-5115. Their website is www.aradersf.com.
