MAURICE BRAUN (1877-1941)
27. Hubbard Grove
Oil on canvas
Signed lower right
16 x 20 inches
23 x 27 framed
Provenance:
Private Collection, Colorado
Maurice Braun is distinguished as the premier historical painter of San Diego. His lifelong painting career brought him many honors and national acclaim. Braun’s unique style was developed from extensive artistic training at the highly regarded National Academy of Design in New York, where he studied under full scholarship. This academy training was followed by a year’s study with the notable William Merritt Chase (1849-1916). Braun then continued to further his education with a one-year study in Europe 1902-1903. Thus, the foundation for his success was established. Braun became a noted figure and portrait painter in New York by 1909. But in 1910, Braun left for San Diego, seeking more independence and leaving behind the constraints of the eastern art establishment. It was in California that Braun’s most mature work was done.
His studio home on Point Loma provided much inspiration for his paintings. The magnificent view overlooked the bay and city of San Diego, with ranges of mountains in the distance. Making frequent excursions to the countryside, his paintings reflect the subtle colors and radiant light of Southern California. Hubbard Grove reveals the pastoral peacefulness seen in Braun’s work. The refined colors and delicate brushwork exemplify this master’s unique style. The buildings seem to blend in with the landscape, creating harmony in the painting. It is as if the presence of man and nature are one.
After winning the prestigious Gold Medal at the San Francisco Panama Pacific International Exposition, his fame began to spread on both the East and West coasts. By 1921, Braun maintained studios in New York City, Old Lyme, and Silvermine, Connecticut. The importance of Braun’s influence in California Art cannot be underestimated.
Works held:
The Fleischer
Collection, Arizona, Houston Museum, The Irvine Museum, Art Association,
Bloomington Illinois, Art Association, Wichita, Kansas, Los Angeles Museum, Los
Angeles Women’s Athletic Club, Municipal Collection, Phoenix, Arizona, Public
Collection of Riverside and San Bernardino, California, San Diego Museum of Art.
The Redfern Gallery
1540 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 T: (949) 497-3356 F: (949) 497-1324 mail@redferngallery.com
at the Montage Resort and Spa
30801 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 T: (949) 715-6193