Second Nature: Four Early San Diego Landscape Painters - Hardcover

The early 20th century witnessed an artistic and design "explosion" in California, prompted in part by the spectacular beauty of the state. The subjects of this San Diego Museum of Art exhibition catalog--Charles A. Fries (1854-1940), Maurice Brown (1877-1941), Alfred R. Mitchell (1888-1972), and Charles Reiffel (1862-1942)--became acquainted through membership in the Art Guild during the 1920s. Taken as a whole, their canvases are loosely expressionist in style. The layout of the catalog is particularly pleasing. After a charming foreword by an artist who knew them all, the reader is treated to four well-researched and concise essays on the life and output of each man. The nearly 100 handsome color plates are grouped together, a format that encourages comparison and browsing. The appendixes include a catalog of works, selected exhibition history, and a bibliography for each artist. Of particular interest to those with a geographical attachment.
- Kathleen Eagen Johnson, Historic Hudson Valley, Tarrytown, N.Y.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.