Creeping Shadows by William Wendt

Creeping Shadows - William Wendt - Canvas Wall Art

About This Piece

Nothing softens a dining room like a painted surface. Creeping Shadows by William Wendt arrives as a hand painted oil painting on canvas, offering the fine art detail, soft gradients, and tactile finish that fine art oil painting shoppers look for.

Composition & Subject

1928
Oil on canvas
30 x 36 in.
Private collection.

William Wendt's adoption of an impressionistic style can be dated to 1896-97 when he and his close friend George Garnder Symons were painting together on the Malibu Rancho near Los Angeles. Both men were in the avant-garde of American painters at the time in that they were open to the Impressionist style that had begun in France in the mid-19th century. As it turns out, Southern California was to be a perfect location for translating the bright colors, atmospheric conditions, and shimmering light that were characteristic of the Impressionist style.

Before 1915, Wendt worked with rather tentative, feathery brushstrokes, but thereafter he developed a bold, self-confident and unique style which one critic termed masculine impressionism. It melded impressionism with a distinctly modernist flair. He produced landscapes with a distinct broader, bold brush. His clouds could be compared to white boulders. Eugen Neuhaus wrote of Wendt: 'He sings of spring in its rich greens and more often of the joyful quality of summer in typical tawny browns, in decorative broad terms.'

Creeping Shadows illustrates Wendt's unique ability to layer texture and color into a composition that draws the eye deep into the landscape. The eye begins at the bottom and gradually travels deep into the top of the canvas, where shadows and hills make one feel the true distance of the scene. Wendt's brushwork meanders through the valley from side to side. The light looks late in the afternoon and the warmth is palpable. Looking south, light comes from the right, as the sun sets in the West.

Ruth Westphal, author of the best-known book Plein Air Painters of California, chose to illustrate this work in her essay on William Wendt. The works chosen for her pair of books on the subject are considered some of the best examples of this genre.

Wendt, now considered a giant among American artists, is often referred to as The Dean of Southern California. Wendt painted exactly what he saw in nature with warm colors and outstanding effects of light and shadow. The tranquility, strength and sense of well-being of his work appealed to a wide audience. It had a sober sort of poetry about it, one critic wrote 'like in fine, familiar hymns.'

Our artists reproduce this fine art composition in oil on canvas by hand, preserving the tonal range that makes fine art oil painting so sought after for a dining room.

Materials & Craftsmanship

Each canvas is painted entirely by hand with professional oil paints on artist-grade cotton canvas. No printing, giclée, or digital imaging is used at any stage, so the surface keeps the slight relief and color variation of real brushwork.

What Is Included

• Genuine hand painted oil painting on premium artist canvas; no printing or digital imaging is used.
• An extra 2-inch blank border is left around all edges for easy stretching and framing.
• No middlemen — we ship directly to you worldwide.
• Quick turnaround — most in-stock fine art paintings ship in 3–10 working days.
• Available canvas sizes for this hand painted oil painting: 20 X 24 in, 24 X 36 in, 30 X 40 in, 36 X 48 in, 48 X 72 in.
• Custom sizes available: order this painting in your preferred dimensions.
• Multiple low-cost carriers available, including DHL, UPS, FedEx and USPS.
• We stretch your canvas onto wooden bars at no extra charge, and can arrange custom framing.
• Before dispatch we email a digital proof so you can approve the finished canvas.

Styling & Placement

This fine art oil painting wall decor is equally at home in a residence, a boutique hotel, or a professional office. Its elegant character makes it a safe, distinctive gift for anyone furnishing a dining room.

Ordering & Peace of Mind

Order Creeping Shadows as a hand painted oil painting on canvas and add lasting elegant character to your dining room. Custom sizes, a digital proof before dispatch, and secure worldwide shipping are included.