Product Description

California embodies the American desire to explore frontiers. Collected here in Paintings of California are the works of more than sixty of America's finest artists, all of whom were drawn to the beauty of California's kaleidoscopic geography and the diversity of her people.
The more than ninety landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes in the book are a revealing depiction not just of the changing topography but of the creation and persistence of the myth of the American dream. The images demonstrate the inspiration provided by sun, sky, and sea, and range from awe-inspiring renderings of giant sequoias to prophetic warnings about the costs of urbanization.
Among the painters included are Albert Bierstadt, George Bellows, Richard Diebenkorn, Childe Hassam, David Hockney, George Inness, David Park, Frank Romero, Ed Ruscha, Alexis Smith, Wayne Thiebaud, and Nicola Wood. Accompanying the paintings are brief selected writings from such authors as John Muir, Mark Twain, Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, and John Steinbeck that echo the passion of the paintings. In her introduction, Ilene Susan Fort amplifies these excerpts, exploring the history of California and its art and also the unique qualities that have made the state so seductive to explorers, tourists, and artists alike. The book concludes with biographical notes on the artists and information about the collections of the major California museums.

Product Details

• Published on: 1997-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Ingram
Full-color reproductions of landscape paintings by Albert Bierstadt, George Innes, Childe Hassam, George Bellows, David Hockney, and other notable artists--accompanied by prose and poetry--capture the diverse landscapes of California.

From the Inside Flap
"A pictorial treasure--both an affordable gift book and a resource for readers seriously interested in California art. The introductory essay by Ilene Fort, a leading authority on American art, is an informative survey that offers insights into California's distinctive art, history, and culture."--Susan Landauer, author of The San Francisco School of Abstract Expressionism

From the Back Cover
"A pictorial treasure (both an affordable gift book and a resource for readers seriously interested in California art. The introductory essay by Ilene Fort, a leading authority on American art, is an informative survey that offers insights into California's distinctive art, history, and culture." (Susan Landauer, author of The San Francisco School of Abstract Expressionism)

Customer Reviews

Captures the feel of California
I love this book. I lived in California for 10 years and became totally enchanted by it. This book brings back pleasant memories of sites, sounds, and smells from the Golden State. The total sensory experiences of the Sierra foothills covered with wildflowers in the spring, the ocean's edge at Big Sur, the hills above San Louis Obispo, the sierras in the summer, and many others come flooding back while browsing this book. My only complaint is its size. These images deserve a big coffee-table style book.