The harbor painting, The Water Front, Sottomarina, Italy (est. $30/50,000), was inspired by Payne’s European travel, particularly a period between November 1922 and September 1923. After a stay in Rome, Payne headed to Chioggia, an island known for its Adriatic fishing boats. There he painted dozens of works of boats, reflections in the water and other harbor scenes. “That the boats were perfectly adapted to the shallow waters and light winds of the lagoon ensured their continued use,” writes Lisa N. Peters in the book Edgar Payne: The Scenic Journey. “…Payne captured how these elegant forms still met the needs of fishermen, seen working below the gently billowing sails. Sharply delineating the contours of the sails against eh dark waters of the lagoon, Payne expressed the strength and permanence of these vessels, conveying their resilience through the ages.”

Edgar Payne (1883-1947), The Water Front, Sottomarina, Italy. Oil on canvas, 29 x 29 in. Estimate: $30/50,000

While these European scenes from the great impressionist are considered classics by the artist, he truly was at home in California, where Payne painted throughout the state. In Surf at Laguna, estimated at $30,000 to $50,000, he focuses on waves breaking against rock along the Southern California coast. 

Maurice Braun (1877-1941), Morning Sun, San Diego Bay. Oil on canvas laid to wax canvas, 24¼ x 28¼ in. Estimate: $20/30,000

For the third Payne, High Sierra Lake Scene, estimated at $10,000 to $15,000, the brushstrokes are looser, but still reveal a master at work as he conveys light and distance with careful dabs of color. Elsewhere in the sale is another famous California painter, Maurice Braun, who will be represented by Morning Sun, San Diego Bay, estimated at $20,000 to $30,000, and also a large landscape from Raymond Dabb Yelland, Mendocino Coast, estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. Also being offered is Benjamin Chambers Brown’s Eucalyptus Road, estimated at $10,000 to $15,000. 

Powered by Froala Editor