Staff Pick Obata: Woman Seated Beneath A Large Tree (sold) Quality Assured [3PD0TqHR]

Artist: Chiura Obata   (1885-1975)
Title: Woman seated beneath a large tree  Date: July 23, 1934

Painting in sumi ink of a woman seated beneath an ancient tree, perhaps on the Berkeley campus. It is possible that this work was made as a demonstration for a plein-air class he was teaching, and it is also possible that it was made for himself in one of his sketching notebooks. Obata painted and drew prodigiously to keep his skills sharp; probably every day. His family has kept the majority of his output through the decades. Chiura Obata taught at Berkeley between 1932 and 1954, and made many study paintings as demonstration to his students. His economy of line and mastery of the brush are practically unequalled in 20th c. American art. The University of California, Berkeley preserved all of his paintings while Obata and his family were interned in Utah during WWII. Provenance: Purchased directly from a grandchild of Chiura Obata.

Condition:  Good condition overall, binding holes on right edges, stains on left of Japanese paper.           Dimensions:  27.3 x 39 cm              Provenance: Grandchild of the artist.
Signature: Chiura Obata