Thomas Hill, Leland Curtis and Percy Gray - Early California Paintings of the Sierra Nevada

Over the past century and a half, early American artists have been captivated by the natural beauty, rugged terrain, and panoramic views of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

In the mid 19th century, Hudson River School artists Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran painted luminous, romantic, landscapes of the West, bringing their epic sweeping views of “The Land of Promise” to the American public.

Early paintings of Yosemite, such as these by Thomas Hill, Leland Curtis, and Percy Gray, served to draw attention to that area, and helped to spark a new era of conservation and environmental protection for its unique and exceptional beauty.

The stunning waterfalls, majestic granite cliffs and scenic vistas were favorite subjects of famous 19th century landscape artist Thomas Hill. One of the most acclaimed painters in the history of American art, Hill is especially well known for his western landscapes and panoramic views of our National Parks. 

Thomas Hill
(1829 - 1908)
Yosemite Valley
14 x 21 inches
SOLD

Thomas Hill(1829 - 1908)
Vernal Falls
30 x 20 inches
SOLD

Avid mountain climber and talented artist Leland Curtis was known for his striking plein air mountain and desert landscape paintings. Curtis was born in Denver in 1897 and lived in Seattle prior to moving to Los Angeles in 1914.  He was the official artist for multiple U.S. Antarctic Expeditions between 1939 and 1957, and moved in 1960 to Twenty Nine Palms, California.  He spent many summers in Moose, Wyoming where he had a studio in a rustic log cabin.  He was an avid hiker and mountain climber, and his works reflect the artist's obvious love and respect for nature and his deep appreciation of the magnificent panoramic views.

Leland Curtis(1897 - 1989)
Aspen Trees
6 x 7 1/2 inches
AVAILABLE NOW

Percy Gray is considered one of California's most important historical artists, and more specifically, one of the state's premier watercolorists.  He was influential as a leader of the American art movement known as “Tonalism” that began in the 1880's and lasted well into the 1920's.  His works such as the delicate watercolor below, celebrate the artist's tonalist style, interpreting nature using muted colors, soft outlines, and subtle nuances and gradations of single hues in a narrow range. 

Percy Gray
(1869 - 1952)
Liberty Cap
SOLD

Works from the early California Impressionism genre and early Tonalist paintings, plein air landscapes in particular, serve to call attention to the exceptional and unparalleled beauty of the Sierra Nevada's mountain peaks, Alpine lakes, and granite cliffs. These, in turn, remind us of the fragile nature of our unique habitat. On this celebration of Earth Day 2020, we hope that these extraordinary historical paintings will serve to inspire us all to become better custodians of these precious lands, and to protect and nurture the environment.

Contact our staff at Karges Fine Art at (800) 833-9185 for more information about early California paintings that are currently available to add to your collection.