Free shipping on orders over $60$5 flat rate under $604 items: 10% off · 8 items: 20% off
You save $47.97
Free shipping over $60 · 30-day returns · Dispatched in 1–2 business days
Upgrade your walls with Spring - William Wendt - Canvas Oil Painting. Every fine art reproduction is painted entirely by hand, so the surface carries the depth and variation of an original oil painting rather than the flatness of a digital canvas print.
1916
Oil on canvas
40 x 49 7/8 in. (101.6 x 126.7 cm.)
Private collection, Southern California.
William Wendt began his early artistic career in Chicago, where he studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and then became a studio artist in a commercial art shop, where he painted formulaic scenery as a way to supplement his income. While there, he also ventured out to the countryside where he pursued easel painting, which was his true passion. During this time, he traveled quite extensively to the East Coast and England for fresh artistic inspiration. He also made several visits to Southern California between 1894 and 1906 to visit his good friend George Gardner Symons (1861-1930). In 1906, Wendt made the decision to settle permanently in California and purchased the home and studio of Elmer and Marion Wachtel.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, California was embracing an artistic evolution as very talented and academically trained artists from around the country and Europe came to the state. Artists such as Franz Bischoff, Alson Clark, Joseph Kleitsch, Edgar Payne, Symons, the Wachtels, and Wendt among many others, heard of the dramatic landscape and brilliant light of California and made the journey to investigate. Once captured by the pure beauty of the sun drenched land and realizing the artistic freedom that they had longed for, these artists made Southern California their permanent home creating a thriving artistic Mecca. Consequently, their inventive styles and artistic development formed a unique version of Impressionism.
Wendt was immediately immersed in the thriving art scene in Los Angeles and was very generous with his time, encouraging and inspiring other artists. He worked tirelessly to build a stable community of those who appreciated the plein air style by raising the creative standard through frequent exhibitions. Because of his influence, he was called the Dean of California Impressionism and also the Father of the California Art Club and was its president from 1911 - 1917.
Wendt, above all, loved to explore the unsettled landscape, sometimes leaving for weeks at a time searching for inspiration for his artwork. "Wendt often took to the countryside, particularly seeking remote, untraveled natural settings, loving especially the rolling hills, spreading trees and carpets of grass and flowers to be found in California in the early spring. Here, this deeply religious man found inspiration. In a letter he wrote, 'Here, the heart of man becomes impressionable. Here, away from the soul-destroying hurly-burly of life, it feels that the world is beautiful; that man is his brother; that God is good.' This transcendent state of mind, usually evoked in the midst of some lovely natural setting, was fundamental to Wendt's work. (R. Westphal, Plein Air Painters of California: The Southland, Irvine, California, 1996, p. 172)
This love of nature is observed in the work Spring, which reveals the open and picturesque countryside covered with rich, verdant grassland and bordered by tall eucalyptus trees. A bright, snowy mountain peak towers in the distance, drawing the viewer deeper into the picture plane. Wendt's composition in Spring illustrates the openness and grandeur of California, which is peaceful yet very subtley powerful. Here, Wendt captured the pure beauty of the untouched California landscape, which he understood to be rapidly changing.
Another version of this work is in the collection of the Irvine Museum titled Edge of the Forest, and was in the exhibition Palette of Light: California Paintings from the Irvine Museum which traveled in 1995-96.
Collectors often choose this fine art image when searching for fine art oil painting that feels substantial rather than decorative or disposable.
Trained artists work in stages — underpainting, mid-tones, highlights, and detail — using traditional oils on canvas. Because nothing is printed, every hand painted oil painting has its own subtle texture and depth.
For hallway wall art that does not feel generic, a painted fine art canvas is hard to beat. It is a popular fine art oil painting pick for new homeowners and a durable alternative to seasonal poster art.
In short: Spring - William Wendt - Canvas Oil Painting combines a romantic composition, a 100% hand painted oil painting process, and the flexibility of made-to-order canvas sizes — a dependable choice for fine art oil painting and hallway wall art.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 X 24 in | $47.98 |
| 24 X 36 in | $77.98 |
| 30 X 40 in | $104.48 |
| 36 X 48 in | $149.48 |
| 48 X 72 in | $291.98 |
The sizes shown are the reproduction canvas sizes we paint to order. The dimensions given in a work's description refer to the original artwork and will differ from the sizes offered here. Not sure? Read the size guide or e-mail us.
Free on orders over $60; a flat $5 below that. Dispatched in 1–2 business days; 30 days to send it back. Full policy.
Every canvas is painted by hand in oils on artist-grade stretched canvas, with an extra blank border left for framing. How to care for your painting.
Measurements are on the size guide, or e-mail [email protected] and we reply within one business day.
