John Collette

"Magnolia" - Beacon Hill, Boston Landscape

1990

Delicate and detailed etching by Orpha Klinker (American, 1891-1964). At the edge of an old Adobe building, a staircase leads to the second floor. The stucco on the walls of the building is cracked, revealing the stonework below. Next to the building is a garden with Corkscrew Willow trees. One of her first projects with which Orpha impressed the public was a notable series of her large color portraits of California pioneers in the L.A.TIMES under the heading of "Speaking Of Pioneers." This led to another series on landmarks and famous tales of early California including oil paintings of historic adobes, buildings, and trees of California. Signed in plate, lower left. Paper size: 8.5"H x 10.5"W Mat size: 10"H x 12"W Orpha Klinker (American, 1891-1964) graduated from Polytechnic High School, L.A. and later studied at U.C.L.A. Art School and at the Cannon Art School. Artists Paul Lauritz and Anna A. Hills of Laguna Beach were her first art teachers. She continued her study of art at the Julian and Colarossi Academies in Europe. Some of her earliest work was in designing. Many pages of her fine pen work drawings appeared in Los Angeles newspapers, illustrating the fashions of the day, not only in clothes but in furniture and other things. Then for a time she did her work in New York City and later with the Ladies Home Journal in Philadelphia. One of her first projects with which Orpha impressed the public was a notable series of her large color portraits of California pioneers in the L.A.TIMES under the heading of "Speaking Of Pioneers." This led to another series on landmarks and famous tales of early California including oil paintings of historic adobes, buildings, and trees of California. From the Mexican border to Death Valley she roamed, meeting and painting portraits of such characters as Death Valley Scotty, Shoshone Johnny, the ancient Indian who supposedly saw the first white man come to Death Valley, Emanuel A. Speegle, "The Last of the 49'ers" (over 90 years of age) and others. Orpha was active in keeping alive the memory of one historical event in particular, the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga ending the Mexican War...

Old Houses, Milbank Grosvenor Road London 1906 This an etching of Grosvenor Road Old Houses, done in 1906 by American printmaker and Whistler biographer Joseph Pennell (American, 18...