Bob Paul Kane

Untitled 539, 1990s

1990s

'Chinatown, San Francisco', gouache on fine art paper, by Edward Wilson Currier (1903). Spofford Alley in San Francisco's Chinatown is best known for an address (number 36) where Dr. Sun Yat-Sen plotted the overthrow of China's last dynasty. During Prohibition, it was the site of turf battles over local bootlegging and protection rackets. Today it is lined with seniors' community centres. However, the quiet alley livens up in the evenings when a Chinese orchestra strikes up a tune, mah-jongg games begin with a cascade of clicking tiles, and barbers and florists use the pretence of sweeping their doorsteps to gossip. In this artist's depiction, a man smokes a long-stemmed Chinese pipe under the awning and colourful lanterns hanging from the wooden supports while a child looks on. The artwork is interesting from several standpoints including architectural, cultural and historical. Shortly after this work was painted, the neighbourhood was completely destroyed in the 1906 earthquake that levelled most of the city. From 1910 to 1940, Chinese immigrants were detained at the Angel Island...

'Sacré-Coeur, Montmartre at Willette Square, Paris', gouache on art paper (circa 1930s), by Lucien Génin. Created by the Director of Public Ways and Promenades under Napoleon III, Sq...

'Le Pont Neuf', gouache on fine art paper, by Lucien Génin (circa 1930s). The Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, France. It stands by the western point of the Île de la Cité, the island in the middle of the river that was, between 250 and 225 BC, the birthplace of Paris. It is called 'The New Bridge' because at the time of its inauguration (built 1578-1607), it embodied a very modern look compared to other bridges which spanned the Seine. Lucien Génin has captured its beauty in this lively depiction from the 1930s. Just before the bridge is a 'Bateau Mouche' an open excursion boat that provides visitors with a view of the city from along the river. The artwork is in good overall condition commensurate with age and medium used. It has been newly frame with anti-reflective glass. Please enjoy the photos accompanying this listing. Signed by the artist in the lower left hand. Upon request a video may be provided. About the Artist: After the devastation of the First World War, Lucien Génin (1894 - 1953) left his provincial home in the autumn of 1919 to find his fortune among the lively Parisians in the heart of Montmartre. Génin befriended the painters Frank Will, Gen Paul, Émile Boyer, Marcel Leprin...

'Small Boat and Bather in Dinard', gouache and charcoal on art paper, by French artist, Jean Pons (1961). Painted in a naïve style, the piece dep...