Donal McNaughton Art

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...

Acquiring a mid-20th-century Fauvist painting by Wilhelm Henning is an opportunity to own a piece of art that captures the vibrant spirit and expressive color palette of the Fauvist ...

Signed J. Sureda Lloveras - Fishermen's beach - Oil on board Oil measures 33x41 cm. Frameless. Signed J. Sureda Lloveras.

"Untitled" by Thane Gorek (Colorado, US based) is an oil on board depicting an aspen grove with jewel toned leaves. This piece is framed and ready to hang. Thane Gorek is an artist...

Charming oil painting of the Wells Fargo Express Office building in the gold country town of Columbia State Historic Park in Columbia, California by Cecil ...

Betty's tearoom original painting by Sean Durkin, displaying a seascape town with people walking and shopping.  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Oil Paint on Board 76 H x 76 W x 5 D cm (29...

Resurrection of Christ Attributed to the Master of the Prodigal Son / Jan Mandyn (1500-1560) Oil on panel, 73 x 56 cm (without frame), 81 x 63 cm (with frame) The work was exa...

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Juliet M. White was born in Philadelphia in 1880. She studied at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, which became the largest art school for women in the United States. Its ...

Charming mid-century naive painting of small figures and chickens in a rural landscape by an unknown artist (American, 20th Century). Signed with the monogram "I. M. H." on lower lef...

A stunning mid-century landscape oil painting by Danish artist Max Victor (1919-1993), signed and dated July 3, 1958. The beautiful composition portrays a vast, open field under a ...

ChatGPT Plus Title: Park in a Catalan City Artist: Sebastià Congost Pla (1919–2009) Technique: Oil on canvas-mounted hardboard Dimensions: 24 x 33 cm Framed dimensions: 34 x 43 cm Si...