William Keith Turn-of-the-Century Oil Landscape Painting
Item Details
William Keith (California/Scotland; 1838 – 1911)
Untitled (landscape), circa 1900
Oil on canvas
Signed to lower left
A turn-of-the-century oil painting on canvas by well-listed Scottish American artist William Keith (California/Scotland; 1838 – 1911). This Barbizon style landscape depicts a lush green countryside in which two figures are seen taking a leisurely walk together by a small lake. Artist signature is signed to the lower left. This work is mounted in an antique moulded wood frame with symmetrical cast corner embellishments and a gilt finish.
Keith was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. In 1850, he immigrated with his family to New York. As a young man, he worked as a wood engraver for Harper Brothers in New York and San Francisco, eventually settling in San Francisco after some time in England. Keith studied with American painter Samuel Marsden Brookes (1816 – 1892) while in California. His work is often divided into two periods where his early works took on more of the Hudson River School’s romantic influence and large mountainous scenes espoused by the Düsseldorf School. In his later decades, his paintings became focused on emotion and mood like the Barbizon School painters. Keith is sometimes referred to as the “Dean of California Artists” and “California’s Old Master.”Condition
- light discoloration, craquelure and accretion across painting. Wear to frame, including loss to upper right corner.
Dimensions
- canvas measures 26″ × 20″.
Item #
18CIN698-035