Jean Mannheim

Pathway to the Church, Pasadena c. 1915

• Oil on canvas
• 28.25" x 36.5", artwork
• 37" x 45" x 1.8", framed
• Historic

$34,000

Provenance
Consigned to American Legacy Fine Arts, Pasadena, California; H&N Fine Art, from the Katherine A. Norris Legacy Collection; John Moran Auctioneers, Altadena, CA, February 17, 2004, lot 104A.

Description:
Jean Mannheim’s Pathway to the Church presents an expansive and serene California landscape, likely set in the Pasadena area where the artist lived and worked. A solitary figure walks along a narrow dirt path through an open field, flanked by towering stands of eucalyptus, toward a small white chapel crowned with a red-tiled roof and slender steeple. In the distance, through a gap in the trees, the fading blue of the evening sky meets the soft purple silhouettes of the San Gabriel Mountains. Prominent yucca plants in the foreground signal the location as the Arroyo Seco, near Mannheim’s home on South Arroyo Boulevard. Bathed in warm, diffused light, the composition blends the atmospheric restraint of tonalism with the vibrant naturalism of early California Impressionism. The absence of harsh shadows suggests the hush of early evening, imbuing the scene with a quiet, contemplative mood—as though the lone figure is drawn toward the church in search of redemption, solace, or spiritual reflection.

Historical Significance
Painted around 1915, this work reflects Mannheim’s deep engagement with Southern California’s developing communities during the early 20th century. Eucalyptus-lined avenues were a hallmark of the region’s evolving landscape, and churches such as this served as cultural anchors in small towns. Mannheim, an influential art educator and founding faculty member at the Stickney Memorial Art School in Pasadena, played a key role in shaping the city’s burgeoning art colony. His works from this period often celebrate both California’s natural beauty and its human stories.

Framing
Presented in a finely hand-carved and gilded 22-karat gold leaf frame of the period, with clean architectural lines that complement the painting’s structure and sense of place.

Condition
Very good condition overall, commensurate with age. Canvas is stable with no apparent tears or significant losses. Colors remain vibrant and the varnish is even.

On Verso
“Katherine Norris Fine Art” label
“American Legacy Fine Arts” label
“FACL” label ID # 05-234
White hand-written label with title and Inv # "103"

Published
Reproduced in the artist’s biography.

The painting is featured and documented in "From a Versatile Brush: The Life and Art of Jean Mannheim," written by his great-grandson Richard W. Reitzell, published by Arroyo Publishing, Los Angeles, January 2011, on page 160

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

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