Arroyo Grove, Pasadena c. 1940s
- Oil on Masonite panel
- 16" x 20", artwork
- 24" x 34", framed
- Historic
$9,000
Provenance
Consigned to American Legacy Fine Arts by private collectors
Description
Sam Hyde Harris was a tremendous storyteller, a talent he successfully translated into his visual art. In this depiction of a grove of eucalyptus trees and grassy hills on the edge of the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena near his home at Artists’ Alley in Alhambra, Harris made use of vibrant greens, the color of spring. He created the painting en plein air, circa 1940s, and incorporated a loose, direct painting style, to animate the trees and to enliven the zigzagging vertical slope they inhabit.
Historical Significance of the Subject
The Arroyo Seco in Pasadena was central to the rise of California’s early 20th-century art movement. It was home to the California Art Club (founded 1909) and was painted by leading artists such as William Wendt, Hanson Puthuff, and Guy Rose. Harris, a long-time Pasadena resident, embraced the area’s natural beauty and helped cement its legacy as a muse for generations of artists.
Frame
Hand-carved wood with 22-karat gold gilt finish
Artist Information
DAV, AIC p. 492, Whos2 p. 1469.
On Verso
Signed and titled (with possible original price noted as "75.00")
Stamped authentication by Maurine St. Gaudens
Stamped certification by Mrs. Sam Hyde Harris
Handwritten “863”
"Katherine Norris Fine Art"
“American Legacy Fine Arts”
Exhibited
Scenic Route: A Half Century of California Discovery, 1900-1950, American Legacy Fine Arts, Pasadena, California, August 15 - October 11, 2025
Early California Masters: Paintings from the Katherine A. Norris Legacy Collection, American Legacy Fine Arts, Pasadena, California, November 12 - December 19, 2021
