LOS ANGELES, CA.- John Moran Auctioneers will present their bi-annual California and American Fine Art auction on Tuesday, May 7th, 2024 at 12:pm PDT. This sale will feature 140 hand-picked works by noted California & American artists, including: Alson Clark, Edgar Payne, Franz A. Bischoff, Maurice Braun, Elmer Wachtel, Hanson Puthuff, Armin Hansen, Angel Espoy, Charles Rollo Peters, Mischa Askenazy, Jessie Arms Botke, Phil Dike, Emile Gruppe, Arthur C. Goodwin, Edward Potthast, a handful of mid-late 19th century oils by William Keith, Thomas Hill, and John Ross Key and Herzog, Edith White, Samuel Kilburn will be featured. Contemporary California & American artists include selections by Charles Muench, David Chapple, Tim Solliday, Filastro Mottola, Irv Wyner, Eyvind Earle, and Grandma Moses.

No California and American Fine art sale would be complete without works by Edgar Payne. Leading the selection is lot 46, “Indian Riders,” estimated at $150,000-200,000. American painter Edgar Alwin Payne (1882-1941) had an illustrious career as one of the United States’ preeminent Impressionist painters. From his home base in southern California, Payne ventured out into the California mountains, painting striking scenes of the peaks and valleys of the Sierra Nevada. Payne’s works are included in the collections of numerous institutions including the Laguna Art Museum, the Pasadena Museum of California Art, the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Paynes Lake in the Sierra Nevada is named in his honor.

Representing the female artists is Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses. Moses (1860–1961) was an American folk artist whose vibrant and endearing depiction of rural American life catapulted her to international fame in the mid-20th century. One of Grandma Moses' distinguished pieces, "In the Camp," crafted in 1950, stands as a testament to her talent for weaving together scenes brimming with life and emotional depth. This masterpiece captures an intimate moment between two figures separated by a riverbank, under the glow of a full moon. On one side, a figure attends to a dinner pot over an open flame beside a moored boat, while on the opposite bank, another figure engages from afar. The scene is set against a backdrop of tree-lined banks, rendered in Moses' characteristic style that features a flattened perspective and the use of bright, unmodulated colors to evoke a sense of timelessness and universality. This work, which was once housed in the Hammer Galleries in New York, is meticulously cataloged in Otto Kallir's definitive book on the artist, listed as figure 928. Lot 120 will present, “In The Camp,” 1950, with a $25,000-35,000 estimate.

The American artist, Phil Dike (1906-1990) was known for his watercolors depicting the California coast as seen in his works, “Shore Tapestry,” estimated $20,000-30,000, and “Shore Texture,” valued at $12,000-18,000. Lots 16 and 17, both painted in 1954, present bright sunshine, vibrant colors, and constantly changing patterns of movement, exemplifying the vibrant coastal lifestyle that Dike sought to capture in his work.

Unique, inspired, and influential, Eyvind Earle (1916-2000) remains one of the most popular of American artists. In an astonishing artistic career, Earle has made his mark on everything from fine art, to animation, to greeting cards. His original paintings and work done for Walt Disney Animation remain some of the most sought-after pieces by collectors. Lot 102 will present, “Sea, Wind and Fog,” 1986 with a $15,000-20,000 estimate.

Lot 75, Landscape with wildflowers, estimated $10,000-15,000, is by the self-taught painter, Elmer Wachtel. Wachtel (1864-1929) was an American painter who lived and worked in Southern California. He was known for painting California’s landscapes.

Associated with Tonalism and the American Barbizon school was the Scottish-American painter, William Keith (1838-1911), famous for his California landscapes. He first exhibited in 1866 and was praised by critics. His subject matter already included views of Yosemite and other High Sierra locations. Making its way to the block will be “Encampment at Yosemite Valley with Cathedral Rock,” lot 65, with an estimate of $10,000-15,000.

This sale will include multiple works by Granville Redmond and Franz A. Bischoff. Redmond (1871-1935) was an American painter renowned for his breathtaking landscapes and thoughtful depictions of California rural scenes. Lot 1 will present Redmond’s work, “Sailboats off Catalina,” 1903, estimated $7,000-9,000. Lot 35 is “Santa Rosa Island [at] San Pedro Harbor,” by Franz A. Bischoff, valued at $6,000-8,000. Bischoff (1864-1929) was an American artist known primarily for his China painting, floral paintings, and California landscapes.

Rounding out the highlights is lot 48, a group of 27 miniature paintings after Vincent Van Gogh, 1998-2001, by Paul Saltarelli, estimated $12,000-18,000. The sizes range from 1.25” H x 2” W to 3” H x 4.75” W. This lot includes miniature reproductions of some of Vincent Van Gogh's most renowned works of art, which include, "The Potato Eaters," 1885, "The Seated Zouave," 1888, "Cafe Terrace at Night," 1888, "Portrait of Armand Roulin," 1888, "Van Gogh's Chair," 1888, "Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear," 1889, "Le Berceuse (Augustine Roulin)," 1889, "The Starry Night," 1889, "Cypresses," 1889, and "Portrait of Dr. Gachet,” and was exhibited at The Carole and Barry Kay: Museum of Miniatures in Los Angeles, CA in 1998.

— Brenda Smith, John Moran Auctioneers