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"Toltec, " Important Sketch for Art Deco Painting with Male and Female Nudes

About the Item

This stylized and richly-colored, almost cinematic, depiction of a nude Toltec male youth by John Garth shows the figure holding a knife and chalice, hinting at human sacrifice, standing above two supine female nude figures. An article from the March 9, 1925 issue of the "Illustrated Daily Herald," notes that "John Garth, youthful painter of San Francisco, who chose to paint five years without offering his work to the public and who recently held his first show at Gump's, combines with his admirable technique and feeling for color an understanding of life in many aspects." Garth was a giant among artists in San Francisco for many years, and served as Mural Director for the WPA Art Project there in the 1930s. He painted murals for the Sir Francis Drake Hotel and the University of California, among other clients, and also designed mosaic murals such as the famous "World Sources of Food" located in the Marina neighborhood of San Francisco. At one point he kept a studio at the Fairmount Hotel Studios, at the rear side of the famous hotel, and at other points a studio at the Artists Building a few blocks away, at 535 Sacramento Street. This sketch is executed in gouache and colored pencil over a printed image, and comes from Garth's descendants. To our knowledge, this is the only version of this painting known to exist; the reverse includes a photograph of the final painting that followed this sketch.
  • Creator:
    John Garth (Artist)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 14.75 in (37.47 cm)Width: 11.75 in (29.85 cm)Depth: 0.1 in (2.54 mm)
  • Style:
    Art Deco (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1930
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Overall good; the upper left quadrant has suffered a large loss, and the paper is creased.
  • Seller Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU865112623832

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