Ben Benn

Pitcher & Bowl

1922

"Two Bottles" American Scene Realism Mid 20th Century Female Artist WPA 1940's Helen Clark Oldfield "Two Bottles," 1943. Signed “Helen Oldfield” lower right. Oil on canvas board, 18 x 14 inches. Provenance: Estate of the Artist. Helen Clark Oldfield was born in Santa Rosa. Her father, James E. Clark, invested in local hops farms. He was a director of the first Santa Rosa Bank. Oldfield lived at 547 Mendocino Avenue, in one of the finest custom-built homes in town. She was the oldest child of the family. They spent summers in their beach cabin at Jenner-by-the-Sea. She was a good student and graduated from DeWitt Montgomery High in Santa Rosa with college standard grades. Unfortunately, this idyllic situation tumbled down suddenly. due to a fraud scandal at the Bank, her father forfeited most of his assets in order to make good on his client's losses. At the time when her high school friends were going east to college, Oldfield followed her family to a new life of farming. She found this life frustrating as there was little time for her interests after conclusion of her daily duties. Here she developed her natural gift for sophisticated needle work. At the time she also took a correspondence course in industrial design and became an expert tailor. Her family was not happy with the farming arrangement. They decided to move to Oakland. In 1921 they purchased a home at 318...

This still life of Plums is a top notch example of 19th century still life painting! Beautiful quality and striking but also spare and honest in nature which is what typified Americ...