Description: San Francisco Bay Area modernist painting.

Media: Oil in masonite panel.

Title: Untitled (Bay Area Farm Scene with San Francisco Bay in the Background).

Date: 1945

Measurements: 19" x 26" x 1.5"

Condition: Good condition overall. Some paint loss at edges. (see images)

Notes: 1940s modernist oil painting.

Provenance: From a Berkeley, CA estate.

About the artist: Erle Loran, (1905-1999), was an important figure in the California artist scene, living most of his life the Bay Area. Loran taught for many years at UC Berkeley and exhibited his paintings around the United States.Early in life he travelled in Europe and lived in Paul Cezanne's studio. He would later write several books, including Cezannes Composition.Moving to California Loran became engrossed in the Bay Area art scene. During the 1930s Loran worked mostly in watercolor due to the ease of transporting materials while painting en plein air. Due to an incident where Loran was detained by military officials in the 1940s who were suspicious of possible spy activity, Loran began to paint oils form his studio. In Berkeley Loran was exposed to Hans Hofmann and began to paint in a abstract expressionist style , popular at the time. Later in life Loran adjusted his style of painting to the trending styles of the day including painting op art, pop art, and hard edge paintings.