Snow in the High Sierras

Snow in the High Sierras (early 20th century)
Donated in Memory of Christian A. Gerola

Edgar Payne (1883 – 1947)
Primarily self-taught, Edgar Payne is widely recognized as one of the most prominent California Impressionist painters of the early to mid-20th century. An avid plein air artist, he produced dramatic coastal views and mountainous scenes of which the Sierra Nevada mountain range was a favorite. Snow in the High Sierras showcases Payne’s modulation of color to produce atmospheric depth. Payne was a founding member and first president of the Laguna Beach Art Association, an organization that would eventually become the Laguna Art Museum, and wrote in 1941 the influential instructional manual Composition of Outdoor Painting, a book that remains in print. Langson IMCA’s collection includes eight other paintings by Payne.

Year acquired: 2021