Arthur Hill Gilbert (June 10, 1893 – April 1970) was an

American Impressionist American Impressionism was a style of painting related to European Impressionism and practiced by American artists in the United States from the mid-nineteenth century through the beginning of the twentieth. The style is characterized by loose ...

painter, notable as one of the practitioners of the

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

-style. Today, he is remembered for his large, colorful canvases depicting meadows and groves of trees along the state's famed

17 Mile Drive 17-Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula in California, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses, mansions and scenic attractions, including the Lone Cypre ...

. Gilbert was part of the group of American impressionist artists who lived and painted in the

artists' colony Art colonies are organic congregations of artists in towns, villages and rural areas, who are often drawn to areas of natural beauty, the prior existence of other artists, art schools there, or a lower cost of living. They are typically mission- ...

scene in California at Carmel and

Laguna Beach Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Located in Southern California along the Pacific Ocean, this seaside resort city has a mild year-round climate, scenic coves, and environ ...

during the 1920s and 1930s.

Biography

Early life

Born on June 10, 1893 in

Mt. Vernon, Illinois Mount Vernon is a city in Jefferson County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 14,600 at the 2020 census. Mount Vernon is the principal city of the Mount Vernon, Illinois micropolitan area, which includes all of ...

,World War I Draft Registration Record Gilbert graduated from Evanston Academy (Source: www.comenosfinearts.com, 02/20/01). He then studied at

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

. During this period, he was taught by

William Merritt Chase William Merritt Chase (November 1, 1849October 25, 1916) was an American painter, known as an exponent of Impressionism and as a teacher. He is also responsible for establishing the Chase School, which later became the Parsons School of Design. ...

. After a stint at

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

, Gilbert served as an

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

in the Navy in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After the war, Gilbert enjoyed "a long awaited sojourn in

Concarneau Concarneau (, meaning "Bay of Cornouaille") is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in Northwestern France. Concarneau is bordered to the west by the Baie ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

where he decided to study painting as a future career", according to a reminiscence by fellow artist and close friend, Abel G. Warshawsky (Source: www.fada.com profile on Gilbert as remembered by Warshawsky, referenced on 12/11/2006). Later, Gilbert attended the

Otis Art Institute Otis College of Art and Design is a Private university, private Art school, art and design school in Los Angeles, California, United States. Established in 1918, it was the city's first independent professional school of art. The main campus is l ...

(now known as

Otis College of Art and Design Otis College of Art and Design is a private art and design school in Los Angeles, California, United States. Established in 1918, it was the city's first independent professional school of art. The main campus is located in the former IBM Aero ...

) and the

Chicago Art Institute The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park. Its collection, stewarded by 11 curatoria ...

The impressionist emerges

Gilbert spent nine years painting and exhibiting in Los Angeles. In 1929, he moved to the Monterey Peninsula and frequently held frequent one-man exhibitions at the

Hotel Del Monte The Hotel Del Monte was a large resort hotel in Monterey, California, from its opening in 1880 until 1942. It was one of the finest luxury hotels in North America. During World War II, it closed and the building was leased to the United States ...

Art Gallery. He became widely known for his California landscapes and seascapes. Gilbert loved to paint the California Missions, especially

Mission San Juan Bautista Mission San Juan Bautista is a Spanish mission in San Juan Bautista, San Benito County, California. Founded on June 24, 1797, by Fermín de Lasuén of the Franciscan order, the mission was the fifteenth of the Spanish missions established in ...

, whose bell tower, according to FADA.com, "received notoriety in the film ''

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

'', directed by

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

." Gilbert also painted the

Santa Barbara Mission Mission Santa Barbara () is a Spanish mission in Santa Barbara, California, United States. Often referred to as the 'Queen of the Missions', it was founded by Padre Fermín Lasuén for the Franciscan order on December 4, 1786, the feast day of S ...

Personal life

Gilbert and his wife, Audine, owned and lived in a ranch home near

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...

. During his lifetime, Gilbert was active both professionally and personally with arts and culture associations including The

Bohemian Club The Bohemian Club is a private club with two locations: a city clubhouse in the Nob Hill district of San Francisco, California, and the Bohemian Grove, a retreat north of the city in Sonoma County. Founded in 1872 from a regular meeting of jour ...

and the Carmel Art Association, for which he was a pioneer member.

Gilbert's legacy

In a 2001 article entitled "California Impressionism" (www.eppraisals.com, 02/20/01) which discussed the resurgence of interest in this style of early 20th-century art, Victoria Shaw-Williamson (correspondent at the time for www.keen.com) wrote, "Notably, the attention garnered by big names such as

Guy Rose Guy Orlando Rose (March 3, 1867 – November 17, 1925) was an American Impressionist painter and California resident, who received national recognition in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Early life and education Guy Orlando Rose was bo ...

is filtering down to other artists as well. Paintings by artists such as John Gamble, Arthur Hill Gilbert, and Mary Denil Morgan are now bringing higher than expected prices." Shaw-Williamson continues, "according to Patrick Kraft, of (a gallery in) Carmel and Los Angeles, artists that were considered second tier 10 or 15 years ago are now more sought after and their paintings are bringing stronger and stronger prices. As prices climb for the Guy Rose paintings, collectors are gravitating towards other artists in the school." In an essay entitled, ''Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and the Eucalyptus School in Southern California'', art authority Nancy Dustin Wall Moure wrote that Gilbert "simplified landscape to the point of poeticism."

Past notable exhibitions (in alphabetical order)

California Palace of the Legion of Honor The Legion of Honor, formally known as the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, is an art museum located in San Francisco, on the West Side of the city. Located in Lincoln Park, the Legion of Honor is a component of the Fine Arts Museum ...

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Frederick Styles Agate, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, an ...

* Pennsylvania Academy of Art

Honors and awards

* In 1929, Gilbert was awarded the coveted Hallgarten Prize for his ''Monterey Oaks'' in an exhibition at the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. * In 1930, Gilbert went on to win both the Henry Ranger and the J. Francis Murphy Memorial Prizes. * According to FADA (Fine Arts Dealers Association Online), Gilbert "was one of the very few California Impressionists to be elected into the prestigious membership of the National Academy of Design. * Today, when at auction, many of Gilbert's works are listed in catalogs with his full name as the artist and the professional designation of "A.N.A." following.

Museum collections

According to the "Ask Art" website, referenced on 1/25/02, and The Smithsonian art archive, museums that today include Arthur Hill Gilbert in their collections include: *

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

Museum of Art *

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

Museum of California *

Springville Museum of Art The Springville Museum of Art in Springville, Utah, United States is the oldest museum for the visual fine arts in Utah. In 1986, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As of 2022, the museum's director is Emily Lars ...

Los Angeles County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum). LACMA was founded in 1961 ...

Monterey Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census. The city was fou ...

Museum of Art-Pacific *

Selected works (in alphabetical order)

* ''

California Mission The Spanish missions in California () formed a series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. The missions were established by Catholic priests of the Franciscan ord ...

'', oil on canvas, 22 by 28 in. - Sold by a gallery in Northern California in late 2000 or early 2001. * ''

California Sycamore ''Platanus racemosa'' is a species of plane tree known by several common names, including California sycamore, western sycamore, California plane tree, and in North American Spanish . ''Platanus racemosa'' is native to California and Baja Califo ...

s'', oil on canvas, approx. 32 × 40 in. - Last on display in a private home in Southern California from the 1950s until 1988. * ''Cloudy Day on The Seine'', 1927, oil on canvas, 32 × 40 in. - Paul Bagley Collection, as per Gerdts and South in ''California Impressionism'' page 244 (plate 238). * ''The Cove, Pt. Lobos'', c. 1935, oil on canvas, 25 × 30 in. * ''Duneland,

'', oil on canvas, 40 × 50 in. - Sold by Altadena-based John Moran Auctioneers, at The Pasadena Convention Center on June 20, 2006. Price paid by the buyer was a 2nd-highest record for this artist of $57,500.(Source: www.News-Antique.com as per JSLA Media press release, reference: Lot #82, presale estimate of $ 20K to $30K). * ''Green Hills'', oil on canvas, 20 × 23 in. - Sold for $5,000 at auction, December 2006, Butterfield and Butterfield (Source: www.bohnhams.com, Sale 14048, lot 193). * ''Green Hills at Seaside'', oil on canvas, 12 × 16 in. - Sold for $6,462.50 at auction, June 8, 2006, Butterfield and Butterfield (Source: www.bohnhams.com, Sale 7544D, lot 4240). - ''"Provenance: Property from the Baird collection, sold to benefit the Monterey Museum of Art's Exhibition program. Note: There is a landscape study painted on the reverse."'' Bonhams' catalogue, p. 145. * ''Glimpse of Hollywood Hills'', oil on canvas on panel, 12 × 14 in. - In the permanent collection at the

Museum of Art in

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

. * ''

Monterey Bay Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by about 75 miles (120 km), accessible via California S ...

'', c. 1930, oil on canvasboard, 9 × 12 in. Sold by a gallery in Northern California in late 2000 or early 2001.(Source: www.fada.com/trotter4.html) * ''Mt. Doud,

Big Sur Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Carmel Highlands and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Range, Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from th ...

'', oil on canvas, 40 × 50 in. - Also sold by Altadena-based John Moran Auctioneers, at The Pasadena Convention Center on June 20, 2006. The buyer, Trotter Galleries of Carmel, paid a record $97,975. Note: A smaller (25" × 30") painting by the artist with the same title, though varying in color, was sold by Bonhams & Butterfields in August 2005 for a reported $29,375.(Source: www.News-Antique.com as per JSLA Media press release, reference: Lot #48, presale estimate of $ 25K to $30K). * ''A Summer

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

'', oil on canvas, 25 × 30 in. - Last on display at a gallery in California in July 2005. (Source: www.knathangallery.com) * ''Summer Path'', oil on canvas on board, 9 × 12 in. - Auctioned at Butterfield and Butterfield in May 2007 with a bid estimate of $3,000 to $5,000.(Source: www.bohnhams.com, Sale 14796, lot 735). * ''Tall Trees'', oil on canvas, 24 × 30 in. - Last on display at a gallery in Southern California in February 2001. (Source: www.binggallery.com) * ''View of

'', oil on canvas, 25 × 30 in. - Last on display at a gallery in Southern California in July 2005. (Source: www.knathangallery.com)

References

External links

''Glimpse of Hollywood Hills'' by Arthur Hill Gilbert in the BYU Museum of Art permanent collection''Entry about Gilbert at "Ask Art.com"''
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, Arthur Hill 1893 births 1970 deaths 20th-century American painters American male painters American Impressionist painters Painters from California United States Navy personnel of World War I Painters from Chicago United States Navy officers Otis College of Art and Design alumni National Academy of Design associates People from Mount Vernon, Illinois Artists from Stockton, California Artists from Carmel-by-the-Sea, California People from Laguna Beach, California Military personnel from California Military personnel from Illinois 20th-century American male artists