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Lot Essay
Executed circa 1875 to 1880.
In the late nineteenth century, William Keith had gained a reputation as an important and influential artist in California. Immigrating from Scotland when he was twelve, Keith lived in New York with his mother before permanently settling in California in 1860. He was captivated by the vibrant, burgeoning society of San Francisco during the Gold Rush. He befriended Naturalist John Muir and in 1872, they traveled together to the Sierra-Nevada Mountains and Yosemite.
Yosemite Valley, painted approximately three years after his first sojourn to this dramatic valley, displays the quiet river on the valley floor meandering toward the towering walls of the granite peaks. "It portrays a commanding view of Cathedral Rocks, which are in the valley along a bend in the Merced River. Nothing obstructs the panoramic view. A bit of the riverbank is included as a repoussoir to lead the view into the scene. The towering trees are arranged on the sides to permit an open vista of the cliffs. The addition of the riders, while suggesting a narrative, was also essential to the composition. " (M. Quick and I.S. Fort, American Art: A Catalogue from the Collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, 1991)
In the late nineteenth century, William Keith had gained a reputation as an important and influential artist in California. Immigrating from Scotland when he was twelve, Keith lived in New York with his mother before permanently settling in California in 1860. He was captivated by the vibrant, burgeoning society of San Francisco during the Gold Rush. He befriended Naturalist John Muir and in 1872, they traveled together to the Sierra-Nevada Mountains and Yosemite.
Yosemite Valley, painted approximately three years after his first sojourn to this dramatic valley, displays the quiet river on the valley floor meandering toward the towering walls of the granite peaks. "It portrays a commanding view of Cathedral Rocks, which are in the valley along a bend in the Merced River. Nothing obstructs the panoramic view. A bit of the riverbank is included as a repoussoir to lead the view into the scene. The towering trees are arranged on the sides to permit an open vista of the cliffs. The addition of the riders, while suggesting a narrative, was also essential to the composition. " (M. Quick and I.S. Fort, American Art: A Catalogue from the Collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, 1991)