William G. Schneider

Early Tonalist Landscape -- California Coastal Live Oaks William Schneider 1915

Circa 1911

Marin County Meadows and Pond with Oak Trees by Manuel Valencia Tonalist Pioneer A painter of California history and western landscapes, Manuel Valencia was born in Marin County, California in 1856 on the Rancho San Jose, the Valencia hacienda. The family received many land grants in the San Francisco area because of their ties to settlement history. Image 8"H x 11.5"W Frame, 14.5"H x 18.5"W x 2.75"D The central focus of the painting is a cluster of lush, verdant trees, likely deciduous, situated near a calm body of water, possibly a pond or slow-moving creek. With a faint outline of figures emerging into the meadow below the towering trees. The foreground features a grassy area with hints of wildflowers or textured ground cover, leading the eye towards the water's edge. In the background, beyond the main cluster of trees, there appears to be a smaller, indistinct structure, possibly a house or shed, suggesting a subtle human presence in the otherwise natural scene. The overall composition is balanced and serene, typical of Tonalist works seeking to evoke a peaceful mood rather than dramatic narrative. Color Palette and Light: The painting employs a subdued, Tonalist color palette, dominated by varying shades of greens, browns, and grays for the landscape elements, and a muted, possibly overcast or hazy sky in the upper portion of the canvas. The light source is diffused and soft, creating a gentle luminosity across the scene, particularly noticeable on the surface of the water which reflects the muted tones of the sky and surrounding foliage. This soft lighting emphasizes the atmospheric quality and quiet mood of the scene. He was a descendant of General Gabriel Valencia, the first governor of the state of Sonora, Mexico under Spanish rule. He was named for his grandfather, who arrived in California in 1774 and became administrator of the Presidio in San Francisco. As a Tonalist, Valencia primarily focused on variations in value and muted color palettes, often featuring greens, purples, blues, and grays. This emphasis on subtle shifts in tone, rather than sharp contrasts, allowed him to create smooth transitions between light and shadow, mimicking the soft, diffused light found in atmospheric conditions like mist, twilight, or moonlight. Valencia studied with artists including Jules Tavernier in the San Francisco area, where he lived his entire life, and attended what is now Santa Clara University. He also spent some time in Mexico where he was a member of the Esquela de Bellas Artes de Mexico. Early in his career, he was a commercial artist who designed calling cards. After the 1906 earthquake and fire, Valencia and his family moved to San Jose, but he commuted to his studio in San Francisco. There he was art editor of the "San Francisco Chronicle" newspaper under art patron M.H. de Young, for whom the museum in San Francisco is named. War Cry, the Salvation Army newspaper, also hired Valencia as its first illustrator. During the time he did illustration work in San Francisco, he kept studios in Monterey and Santa Cruz, did landscapes in Tonalist styles including moonlit scenes that were similar to those of Charles Rollo Peters and indicated he had an awareness of the poetic aesthetic of James McNeill Whistler. Around 1912, he began exhibiting in San Francisco galleries such as S & J Gumps and in New York at Macbeth Gallery and exclusive restaurants such as Delmonico's. President William McKinley, who purchased one of his Yosemite paintings...

Robert Azensky Fine Art is proud to present Early 20th Century Oil Painting Palo Alto, California Foothills Landscape Painting circle of Bruce ...

Stunning plein air California landscape of Natividad (part of unincorporated Monterey Country) in late afternoon by James Everett Stuart (American, 1852-1941), 1917. Signed, dated an...

Early 20th Century Tonalist Pastel Landscape Beautiful tonal landscape, c.1915, by pastel artist William Henry Chandler (American, 1854-1928). The viewer looks out over a serene riv...

Robertson K. Mygatt (American, 1862-1919) Trees by a Small Pond Oil on panel, 5 1/8 x 6 3/4 inches Framed: 9 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches (approx.) Unsigned The landscape painter and etcher...

A wonderful rendition of an English Landscape by renowned artist William Emerson, depicting a serene autumnal landscape scene with a lush, green tree on the left side of the composit...

Landscape with Trees Oil/Canvas 12 x 16 unframed, 21.5 x 25 framed Painting is in good condition, signed bottom left margin with craquelure in the clouds as shown. Housed in beautif...

CHAUNCEY FOSTER RYDER (American, 1868-1949), Pasture Lands oil/canvas signed LR 31.5 x 39.5 image, 40.5 x 48.5 framed A wonderfully subtle tonalist painting by Ryder incorporating a farmer/farmhand probably moving cows about the pastures mid right in the scene. Ryder uses a subtle S design from lower left that zig zags up to the figure and cows. The painting shows Ryder's masterful use of abstract design and technique utilizing textures in his application of paint giving the painting life and interest. Original frame, some craquelure in sky, old surface. Bears Newhouse Galleries, possibly NYC, label verso. The painting hangs in my collection currently and would benefit from a cleaning and new varnish. It is a large museum quality oil painting. SHIPPING-This will need In Home Delivery service as it is too large for me to pack. The handling time is listed as 10 days but is dependent on who 1stdibs hires and their schedule to pick up and deliver. 3 -7 weeks is listed in the shipping section for this service. Buyer can also arrange for their own pick up. Bio- Chauncey Foster Ryder (29 February 1868 – 18 May 1949)[1] was an early 20th century American Postimpressionist Tonalist landscape painter known for a green-gray palette termed 'Ryder green'. Education and personal life Ryder was born in 1868 in Danbury, Connecticut, but grew up mainly in New Haven.[2][3] He began studying painting as a boy. In his early twenties, he moved to Chicago to attend the Art Institute,[4] then Smith's Academy.[5] After only a year at the latter, he was hired as an instructor.[5] In 1891, he married Mary Dole Keith.[5] In 1901, they moved to Paris, France, where Ryder continued his art education, studying with Jean-Paul Laurens at the Académie Julian. Ryder stayed in France for several years, living in an art colony at Étaples and exhibiting his work at the Paris Salon (1903–1909).[3] He took on occasional students, including American painter William Posey Silva...