CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, CA .- From its inventory of more than 120 historical works, William A. Karges Fine Art has curated a journey through the Golden State with paintings by the masters of the California Plein Air Movement. Five notable works have been hand-picked for a special tour, which continues at Karges Fine Art galleries in Santa Monica and Carmel-by-the-Sea where many others are displayed.

The Plein Air Movement began in the state around the same time as the California Gold Rush. Men and women immigrated in search of their fortune but instead found a relatively untouched landscape of mountains, forests, oceans and deserts. Taking advantage of the opportunity, artists visited each location, painting them in person. This method of painting outdoors is what earned the style its name “en plein air,” which means “outdoors” in French.

“From towering ocean cliffs and crashing waves to arid deserts, lush forests and snow-capped mountains, California is the perfect cross-section of the American wild,” said Patrick Kraft, Director of the Carmel-by-the-Sea gallery. “The Plein Air Painters of the late 19th and early 20th century were drawn to the area for the same reasons that bring millions of people to the state today. These painters had a deep love for California’s natural beauty, a passion which is shared by today’s tourists and residents. I can think of no better way to capture that passion than through painting, and these works do so perfectly.”

The Karges Fine Art tour begins in Northern California and works its way South, finishing in San Diego.

William “Bill” A. Karges founded William A. Karges Fine Art after developing a deep-rooted passion for the California plein air genre. Inspired by the state’s scenic, natural beauty, the works resonated with Karges, who fell in love with the sprawling California landscapes and sun-kissed colors embodied in each painting. Realizing a need for the representation of this style, Karges opened a flagship gallery in Carmel-By-The-Sea in 1987.

Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Del Monte forest, Karges Fine Art’s Carmel-By-The-Sea gallery is one of 80 prestigious art destinations located in a single square mile. For more than 30 years, the gallery has served as a top resource for passionate collectors to purchase Early California paintings executed between 1880 and 1940.

Karges Fine Art has also served Southern California since 1988. Originally based in Laguna, the gallery moved to Santa Monica’s up-and-coming Bergamot Arts District. This facility currently showcases 55 works of art in a 1,850 square foot showroom.

Each gallery displays California and American paintings by artists such as Edgar Payne, Granville Redmond, Maurice Braun, Guy Rose, Percy Gray, Paul De Longpre, John Gamble, Marion Wachtel, Elmer Wachtel, Joseph Kleitsch, and many others. Karges Fine Art exclusively represents the estates of J.A. Botke, Cornelis Botke, Rinaldo Cuneo, and has an ongoing partnership with the contemporary painter Dennis Doheny.