John F. Carlson Figurative Paintings

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...

A vintage watercolor capturing a daily scene in the Spanish colonial town of Taxco, Mexico by Theodore Ernest Langguth (German-American, 1861-1952). Titled, dated and signed lower ma...

Quaint pastoral landscape of a figure and dog walking down a country lane amongst tall autumn trees with beautiful fall foliage by Cal Donna Zell (American, 20th Century). Signed "Ca...

Wonderful 1940s figurative of paper boy reading the comics by Louise Miller Clark (American, 20th Century). Signed "Louise Miller" lower right. Unframed. Im...

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 ...

Charming mid century figurative landscape of Aptos Village Apple Shed and Market by listed California artist Jon Blanchette (American, 1908-1987). Aptos is just south of Santa Cruz,...

1880s Century Original California School Oil Painting of Native Americans Fishing in Sierras by Ransome Gillet Holdredge Wonderful landscape of Sierra Mountains in Hudson River Scho...

Along the path on a walk, a vivid impressionist oil painting by Carol H. Kelly (American, 20th Century). Signed "C.H. Kelly" and dated "70" lower right. Unframed. Image size, 18.5"H ...

Titled Ball Players, this charming oil on paper by Charles Henry Miller (1842–1922) captures a lively scene of figures scattered across a bright green field beneath a dramatic, textu...

Charming mid century oil painting of two horses at watering trough by William M. Lemos, Santa Cruz and San Francisco artist (American, 1861-1942), circa 1900. Writing on verso is in ...

"Pilgrimage", a mid century figurative landscape by Carmel, California artist Mary Miller (Klepich) (American, ? - 1957). Presented in a rustic giltwood frame. Signed "Mary Miller" lower right. Titled "Pilgrimage," dated "1952" and signed "Mary Miller" on logo on verso, with Santa Cruz Art League Twenty Third Statewide Art Exhibition Label. Image, 18"H x 24"L. Framed size: 22.5"H x 28.5"W. Mary Miller (Klepich) exhibited in the Twenty-Third Annual Santa Cruz State-Wide Art Exhibition. She and her husband Fred Klepich studied at Bellas Artes, San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. Fred and Mary Owned Carmel Craft Studios, later (SAS) Studio Art Supplies...

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 ...