Ralph Fanning

'View of Venice', NWS, PAFA, Art Institute Chicago, Ohio University

Circa 1929

Signed lower left, 'J. W. Nicoll' for John W. Nicoll (American, 1865-1943), titled lower left, 'Santa Barbara' and painted circa 1925. Sheet dimensions: 9 x 12.75 inches. A luminous, early twentieth-century landscape showing a picturesque view of a Spanish style cottage set in a lush garden with a view beyond towards the Santa Ynez Mountains rising towards clouded, blue skies. An unusual and elegant view of old-time Santa Barbara that retains much of its crispness and freshness of color. Born in New York, John Nicoll first studied with his uncle, the landscape painter, James Nicoll. He subsequently moved to Paris where he furthered his education for three years under Bouguereau and Ferrier at the Académie Julian. He then continued on to Seville where he studied for three years at the Academia Real, spending his winters traveling and painting in North Africa. By 1899, Nicoll had settled in Pasadena where he painted, exhibited and taught drawing at the College of Fine Arts from 1906-1935. Upon his retirement, he moved to San Diego where he continued to paint and exhibit until his death in 1943. Over the course of a long career, James Nicoll exhibited widely and with success including at the Stickley Building, Pasadena, 1899; Blanchard Hall, Los Angeles, 1899; the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St Louis, 1904; the Ruskin Art Club, Los Angeles, 1904; Lewis & Clark Expo Portland, 1905 (Bronze Medal); the Painters Club, Los Angeles, 1906-09; the Nicholson Gallery...

Signed lower right, 'Pamela Della S.W.A' ( American, 20th century), titled, 'From Buena Vista Park' and painted circa 1985. A painterly, Post-Impressionist sketch of San Francisco's...

Modernist 20th Century Rocky Plein Air California Landscape A vibrant watercolor seascape by California artist Lucile Marie Johnston (1907-1994,...

Beautiful large-scale figurative landscape watercolor of a vibrant village scene with several people and a cow amongst interesting architecture by William Howard Knowles (American, 1...