California Art at Bonhams: Coastal Scenes, Cowboys, and Sweeping American Vistas

A native of California and a follower of French Impressionism, Guy Rose came to painting after a tragic childhood accident. He learned how to use watercolors and oil paints while recovering from a gunshot wound. Rose honed those painting skills in Paris before returning to the rugged Californian coast. Bonhams’ upcoming California Art sale particularly features a signed oil painting by Guy Rose depicting California’s Carmel-by-the-Sea and the Monterey Peninsula. Rose followed a tide of American Impressionists who rushed into the region in the early 20th century. A French sensibility for light and color set Rose’s paintings of the coast above those of his peers. The available Off Point Lobos painting was completed in the summer of 1918, Rose’s most prolific year on the Californian coast. 

The California Art auction includes subjects such as sweeping landscapes, cowboys, and rodeos, as well as more contemporary themes. American Western art collectors will find a colorful mountain painting by Edgar Payne, titled Rider and Pack Horse in the Sierras. A largely self-taught artist, Payne grew to become one of the most famous and popular painters of sweeping mountainous views. In the available work, a cowboy leads a line of pack horses through a snow-dusted mountain pass. The catalog includes additional pieces by Alfred R. Mitchell, August Gay, Armin Hansen, and others. Visit Bonhams’ auction for the full catalog and to place a bid.