Theodore Wores (1859-1939), "Hollyhock Garden"
Theodore Wores
(1859-1939)
"Hollyhock Garden"
Oil on panel
Signed lower right: Theodore Wores; titled by repute
14 x 18 in.
Provenance:
Sold: John Moran Auctioneers, Pasadena, CA, February 20, 2007, Lot 60
Orr's Gallery, San Diego, CA
From the Collection of Robert A. Day
Other Notes:
Theodore Wores was an important post-Gold Rush expansion period California painter. He painted prolifically and in diversity of subject matter that included Asian, particularly Japan, South Seas, focusing on Hawaii, the American Southwest, and depictions of his native Northern California. Born in San Francisco in 1859, Wores began his formal artistic studies at age 12 and was a one of the first students to enroll in the newly formed San Francisco School of Design when it opened in 1874, where he studied under Virgil Williams. After a year there, Wores continued his training at the Royal Academy in Munich. While in Europe, he painted with other American expats including James McNeill Whistler, Frank Duveneck and William Merritt Chase.
Returning to San Francisco in 1881, Wores sought fresh subjects in the city's Chinatown neighborhood. Between the mid-1880s and the late 1890s, Wores spent extended periods travelling abroad including two trips to Japan, the first lasting three years, London, New York and Boston. The artist's early work reflected European academic influences, but Wores soon developed a unique style marked by bold colors and keen attention to cultural detail, deeply inspired by Japanese aesthetics, particularly the emphasis on simplicity and nature.
Wores's time in Japan had a profound effect on his artistic vision. Unlike many Western artists of the era who portrayed the East with exoticism, Wores approached his subjects with respect and authenticity, and his paintings show intimate and respectful portrayals of everyday life. After returning to the US in 1898, Wores became an active member of the growing art scene in California and his art memberships included the Bohemian Club, Salmagundi Club, San Francisco Art Association, and the Art Society of Japan. In his work and through his associations, Wores shared his experiences abroad and was a vocal contributor to cross-cultural artistic exchange. In this period, he also began to further explore the California landscape and environs.
Between 1901 and 1903, Wores traveled to Hawaii and Samoa, where he continued to find inspiration in local cultures and natural beauty. Like his Japanese subjects, the South Pacific works reflect a deep appreciation for island life and its peoples.
Wores was a unique art practitioner to come out of California in this period, and his work stands out for its cultural sensitivity and vivid portrayal of Eastern and Western subjects at a time when such "exotic" themes could often be mishandled. Wores's artistic legacy sensitively bridges continents and culture.
Condition
Visual: The panel is bowed convexly and the frame has been constructed to accommodate that fact.Blacklight: No evidence of restoration.Frame: 22 x 25 3/4 x 3 1/4 in.Condition reports are offered as a courtesy and are typically published in Moran's catalogue or can be made available upon request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of others. Buyers are responsible for determining to their own satisfaction the true nature and condition of any lot prior to bidding. Though buyers are not legally required to inspect lots prior to purchase, failure to do so may constitute a waiver of complaint that an item was not delivered in a condition equal to the existent condition at the auction.
Theodore Wores
(1859-1939)
"Hollyhock Garden"
Oil on panel
Signed lower right: Theodore Wores; titled by repute
14 x 18 in.
Provenance:
Sold: John Moran Auctioneers, Pasadena, CA, February 20, 2007, Lot 60
Orr's Gallery, San Diego, CA
From the Collection of Robert A. Day
Other Notes:
Theodore Wores was an important post-Gold Rush expansion period California painter. He painted prolifically and in diversity of subject matter that included Asian, particularly Japan, South Seas, focusing on Hawaii, the American Southwest, and depictions of his native Northern California. Born in San Francisco in 1859, Wores began his formal artistic studies at age 12 and was a one of the first students to enroll in the newly formed San Francisco School of Design when it opened in 1874, where he studied under Virgil Williams. After a year there, Wores continued his training at the Royal Academy in Munich. While in Europe, he painted with other American expats including James McNeill Whistler, Frank Duveneck and William Merritt Chase.
Returning to San Francisco in 1881, Wores sought fresh subjects in the city's Chinatown neighborhood. Between the mid-1880s and the late 1890s, Wores spent extended periods travelling abroad including two trips to Japan, the first lasting three years, London, New York and Boston. The artist's early work reflected European academic influences, but Wores soon developed a unique style marked by bold colors and keen attention to cultural detail, deeply inspired by Japanese aesthetics, particularly the emphasis on simplicity and nature.
Wores's time in Japan had a profound effect on his artistic vision. Unlike many Western artists of the era who portrayed the East with exoticism, Wores approached his subjects with respect and authenticity, and his paintings show intimate and respectful portrayals of everyday life. After returning to the US in 1898, Wores became an active member of the growing art scene in California and his art memberships included the Bohemian Club, Salmagundi Club, San Francisco Art Association, and the Art Society of Japan. In his work and through his associations, Wores shared his experiences abroad and was a vocal contributor to cross-cultural artistic exchange. In this period, he also began to further explore the California landscape and environs.
Between 1901 and 1903, Wores traveled to Hawaii and Samoa, where he continued to find inspiration in local cultures and natural beauty. Like his Japanese subjects, the South Pacific works reflect a deep appreciation for island life and its peoples.
Wores was a unique art practitioner to come out of California in this period, and his work stands out for its cultural sensitivity and vivid portrayal of Eastern and Western subjects at a time when such "exotic" themes could often be mishandled. Wores's artistic legacy sensitively bridges continents and culture.
Condition
Visual: The panel is bowed convexly and the frame has been constructed to accommodate that fact.Blacklight: No evidence of restoration.Frame: 22 x 25 3/4 x 3 1/4 in.Condition reports are offered as a courtesy and are typically published in Moran's catalogue or can be made available upon request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of others. Buyers are responsible for determining to their own satisfaction the true nature and condition of any lot prior to bidding. Though buyers are not legally required to inspect lots prior to purchase, failure to do so may constitute a waiver of complaint that an item was not delivered in a condition equal to the existent condition at the auction.
