For sale

Allan , I understand that your post was tongue in cheek , but this is , indeed , a serious issue . Unfortunately , museums in the States get little to , now , no support from the federal government . The thought of deaccessioning holdings is awful , as many works will wind up in private ownership , rather than public institutions where they are readily available to the public as cultural and educational icons . Sadly , no easy solutions here . Sometimes a sale of an artwork has mixed results - The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield , Massachusetts , after a protracted battle , sold an iconic New England painting , " Shuffleton's Barbershop " by Norman Rockwell . Rockwell's intention when he donated the painting to the museum , was for it to remain there in perpetuity . All was not lost , because the painting was purchased by George Lucas for a museum in California , and not for his private ownership . Sad though , to see it leave New England .https://lucasmuseum.org/

Any Childe Hassam for me. Meanwhile, I’ll be searching the sofa cushions for loose change.

A great example of waste - this privately owned Klimt painting languishes in a secure art warehouse in Geneva - https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=3B59522DB6AFF88BC21E3EFE6E483B9DE8CF8F92&thid=OIP.emF0Xu3xXq4p_2dEklv9GQHaEC&mediaurl=http%3A%2F%2Fartnouveauposters.biz%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F11%2Fgustav-klimt-water-serpents-ii.jpg&exph=500&expw=918&q=klimt+water+serpents&selectedindex=0&ajaxhist=0&vt=0

The article is subscription blocked but related to the topic, I believe that the vast Medici collection that was willed to the Tuscan State by Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici - Electress Palatine though her marriage, and last of the Medici line - is not allowed to be sold or otherwise leave Florence under the Patto di famiglia (Family Pact) of 1737. She is buried in Basilica di San Lorenzo; her remains were exhumed and examined in 2012. Just a little about this wise woman who saved so many treasures from potential sell-off nearly 300 years ago:

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/23537

There's a lot of other material about her on the net.

Pretty sure that terms of the pact wouldn't apply to Michelangelo's "David" but pretty sure there would be riots in the street if that one was put on the auction block!

The article is subscription blocked

I definitely don't have a subscription and am able to access it.

Allan, you must not have used up your limit of W.P. articles you're allowed to access for free without subscription. I was over the limit but just deleted previous W.P. cookies/website data from my history to get me in again temporarily.

Any Peder Bruegel for me... love his work

I'll take Vermeer's "Milkmaid," please. Or anything by Andrew Wyeth. And in a tiny museum in Cefalu there's a painting of Joseph with the young boy Jesus that has stolen my heart. I told my husband if he ever hears of that painting being missing, don't look in the closet.

Jane , since you are a Wyeth aficionado ( and hopefully you remember Michael Palin ) , this is for you - https://youtu.be/jNuGbKIoUds Also , Andrew Wyeth's wife Betsy , died last week at age 98

Steven, thank you for the link! I just peeked at it, and will wait until I'm sitting on the porch, preferably with a glass of whatever he is drinking.

And yes, I did read about Betsy Wyeth. A number of years ago (20? more?), the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City had a Wyeth exhibit. That's a longish drive for us for a day trip, but I would not be denied. What a wonderful day that was.

We ended up driving home in a blizzard, but what a great exhibit. I love water colors, and he could do amazing things with them. Other media, too, of course, but he's tops in my book.

His son is no slouch, either. And his dad...

While only a thought and a dream now , if you ever contemplate a trip down east ( Maine ) ,The Farnsworth Museum in Rockland , Maine , is a must . Great collection , including the Wyeths ( all three ) , and the Museum owns and operates the Olson farm in Cushing , Maine , about twenty miles away . This is the site of " Christina's World " , a touching place to see . Christina , and Andrew , are buried in a tiny cemetery just a few hundred feet from the farmhouse .

I’m waiting for the Borghese to have a spring clearance sale—I could use a couple of statutes.

Bob , the bad feature is the shipping charges will be a killer !

Jane, you’ve probably read the novel A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline.. If any Wyeth fans out there have not, I highly recommend.

El Jaleo, but I’d have to redecorate around it. Heck, I’d have to get a whole different house.

I don't suppose that the Mona Lisa will be in the markdown section at the Louvre, but it wouldn’t require an enormous room in a private home, or a huge wall.

When the Louvre can open again, they could insist that viewers keep 2 selfie stick lengths away from each other.

Typically, I appreciate the story behind the art more than the painting, but while in Philadelphia in 2010 we visited the Philadelphia
Museum; more to see the steps Rocky ran up, but we did go inside for a few hours. I was fascinated by this painting by Camille Pissarro https://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/97626.html because of how he made dabs of paint into a picture. Is it called Impressionism, Pointillism? Because of my complete lack of knowledge of art, I'd never seen this style before and thought the guy was brilliant. Since David won't fit in my living room, maybe I'll settle for this.

Allan, pointillism. I think you'll find that many works of art have stories behind them; that's why studying this field is so rewarding.

When we took the Barcelona/Madrid Rick Steves tour years ago, our guide Federico gave us some incredible insights into Salvador Dalí. Suddenly - briefly - I was able to appreciate some of his works.

By the same token, when we did the Best of Paris tour, our guide Elisabeth blew us away with her discussion, in the Orangerie, of Monet.

Knowledge is not only power, it adds greatly to our quality of life.

I buy art. If something I like comes up I'll certainly give it a look.

Why does this astound people? Museums are collections; most of them private. They cost money to curate, house, and secure. It costs money to make them available for public viewing. They are businesses, and if poorly run they will eventually have to close down and their assets sold off. This is normal.

Most museums only put a small part of their collections on display. If they sell some of that collection, then the purchase of those items is supporting the museum.

Well, if David is already spoken for -- anything Chagall. Or Monet.

Steven, thanks for the heads-up about the Lucas museum being built in LA. I will be on the lookout for it on our annual trips to Southern California.
EDIT: Yes, I already have reproductions on my walls.

Reading the replies to this post I have to assume that the majority never actually buy art. Chagall? I have 2, and I'm not rich by any standard. Admittedly one is a print from 1967 but it is signed. I had a line drawing by Picasso in my cubicle for a while. Monet? I've seen a couple go up, but that's a bit out of the price range for me; although if I forego a vacation I could probably afford one. I'm not talking the wall sized masterpieces, because you probably wouldn't be on this board looking for cut rate anything if you could afford those. Just because it's going up for sale doesn't mean you're picking it up at Dollar Store.

Real art is bought and sold daily, and you can probably afford something by an artist you like. You'd be amazed at how many artists who have stuff hanging in museums also have stuff in private homes/collections that never are seen by the public, and it's when those are put up for sale you get your chance. You don't have to wait for a museum to tank. (And I guarantee the stuff the museums sell is NOT going to be the pieces they expect people will pay to see.)

To put it in really basic terms, you can probably by a nice, original, Andy Warhol painting for less than a cruise will cost. I just saw a fantastic James Christianson sell for less than the cost of three weeks in Europe for the average couple. A Dale Chihuly seaform glass sculpture probably costs less than what you spend eating out every year. Art is like travel, you just have to decide where your priorities lie.

Just remember, buy art because you like it, never as an investment.

Real art is bought and sold daily, and you can probably afford
something by an artist you like.

Damn, you had my hopes up that I could afford a classic...https://www.gq.com/story/dogs-playing-poker-painting-sold-for-650000

" Reading the replies to this post I have to assume that the majority never actually buy art. " I'm not sure how you make this assumption , I can't speak for anyone else here , only for myself . I do buy art , my house is plastered with it . I purchased my first painting at the age of eighteen , from an aged local artist in Durham , New Hampshire , a watercolor . I'm sure no one would know his name , Most of what adorns my walls are prints and reproductions all of which provide unending joy . I also have extensive libraries of art books and thousands of digital photographs of the works in museums I have visited . Shown in high definition on a 55 inch HD television from my computer , I can revisit them at will , the HD reproductions, the next best thing to being there . My point being that accessibility to art does not necessarily translate to physical possession of an original highly important work . Those belong in institutions available to the general public , not to be hoarded by a " select few " .

....thousands of digital photographs of the works in museums I have
visited

We've done the same thing, Steven. I've got slideshows of my art and scenery shots on a jump drive that plugs into the TV. Turns that boring black box into a changing display that's a lot more interesting to look at!

Kathy , Take a few minutes , and enjoy this ; paintings by the Victorian landscape painter , John Atkinson Grimshaw . His virtuosic renderings of the evening , moonlit sky are striking . The largest assemblage of his work is in the museum in Leeds , UK . Since our Autumn trip to the UK is likely on hold until a vaccine , I temporarily consoled myself by hanging a beautiful Giclée print in the living room . ( the music , by Elgar , is well suited to these paintings -https://youtu.be/ZTFVfKV6vYM

“buy art because you like it, never as an investment” - Could not agree more, though I’d sooner choose three or four vacations in Europe instead of splashing out on a painting. Each to his own, whether it be beer, music or art. My shack is full of prints, cheap for the most part, mainly Victorian prints or folk art. On a backstreet in Florence, eight euros for my Ferruzzi ‘Madonnina’, in beautiful muted colours (the frame cost way more).

John Atkinson Grimshaw. With a great Yorkshire name like that, he had to have been a special talent. Saturday Night in Glasgow is wonderful and should be hung on the wall of any post and beam pub.

I do hope someone buys all the Pollocks and Kandinskys and locks them up in a warehouse or pyramid for centuries to come. Laura B, if I were extremely wealthy and owned a Chagall, I would gladly donate it to you.

I'd buy the original Dogs Playing Poker. You know, the one signed by the artist.

I’d sooner choose three or four vacations in Europe instead of
splashing out on a painting.

Me too. The only painting I have on my wall is one my wife gave me for Christmas that a friend did of my late dog. I do have 6 photos in my living room and 6 in my kitchen that we took from various vacations. We print them to 5 x7 abd put therm in 8 x 10 frames. It's a rotating collection and 1 or 2 get changed every trip.

Reading the replies to this post I have to assume that the majority never actually buy art.

We buy art, but we don't have anything by Chagall or Picasso. But we do have some nice works by local artists, which we find at art fairs. And right now, if I lift my head, I am staring at a beautiful painting done by a woman - a professional artist - who was on one of our RS tours. It depicts one of my husband's favorite cities, and is a great reminder of a wonderful trip and new friends.

And cheap prints, drawings, or sketches picked up while traveling make great souvenirs.

Of course, there's still that Vermeer that I covet...

I watched The Thomas Crown Affair last night. If you've got some time on your hands it's a fun movie about art theft.

Allan , this true story about art theft , beautifully done - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monuments_Men

Allan, any movie with Steve McQueen is art itself!

steven, great movie reference! Regarding Nazis and art, at a Picasso show in London, just before the pandemic hit full force, it was made clear how the Nazi occupiers in Paris thought of Picasso as a “deviant artist.” They prevented him from access to paint and other art materials. He cut out used newspaper and other materials to make collages to keep himself occupied. A barely recognizable, tiny smoking pipe in the exhibition, cut from paper, is still a Picasso, but on the surface, looks a lot like what a second grader might produce, using safety scissors and construction paper. And they didn’t get his Guernica!

If interested, author Ian Pears has written several novels about art theft cases set in Rome. I’ve read some and enjoyed them, perhaps others will too.

• Steven, I do remember seeing Monuments Men. I enjoyed it.
• Cyn, I Haven't seen the Steve McQueen version, I watched the Pierce Brosnan/Rene Russo version from 1999.
• Denny, which of Ian Pear's books do you recommend I start with?

As we are on the subject of looted Nazi art , I'm sure many of us recall the restitution of the Klimt painting ( quaintly known as " The Woman in Gold " ) in 2006 . This was another similar example around the same time which went unnoticed , quite interesting - https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/09/arts/design/09munc.html?fta=y

"... prints, drawings, or sketches picked up while traveling make great souvenirs."

Absolutely! I started out buying etchings and posters of places I visited. I had family over at Christmas and was pointing out where some of the stuff came from and how it's all memory association to trips and places I love. One of my brothers recently was showing off a poster I gave him many years back with a much more recent photo of his family standing in the exact same spot. I can look at an etching of Salzburg by Luigi Kasimir and know that I've been there, and it hasn't changed that much since he drew it. (And when I bought the etching it was actually easier to get than a similar sized print of even one of my photos, and a lot better looking.)

I recently watched a poster from Vienna sell for a very considerable sum of money and my first thought was that the original owner probably just picked it up as a memory. Stuff has to have a value beyond dollars or we'd never spend money on it.

Thomas Crown 1968 - McQueen & Faye Dunaway. Ended on a plane, which none of us are riding these days!

Steven, as a resident of Pittsfield for many years, and now in Dalton, MA, I can tell you that the sale of that Rockwell piece was a huge deal for the Berkshire Museum. There were passionate arguments from so many people, and the Board of Trustees came under intense pressure to halt that sale. People here in the Berkshires are very fond of Rockwell and his legacy lives on in the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA. It is a treasure, not to be missed if traveling to Western Massachusetts.

Susan , many thanks ! We are long time members of the Rockwell Museum , and have followed the odyssey of " Shuffleton's Barbershop " since the talk of the sale began . I'm a musician , and a print of the painting along with one of " Stockbridge Main Street " hangs in my library . We spend a fair amount of time each year in Western MA , also maintain a membership at the Clark . We love the area , and our children went to school there - one at MCLA , the other at UMass , Amherst . We are also sad to hear about the situation at Crane , we read about it in The Eagle . Best wishes , Steve

Steven, if you enjoyed "The Monuments Men", read "Saving Italy" by the same author (Robert Edsel.)

Susan and Steven, I just finished reading a great book by Arthur L. Guptill, "Norman Rockwell, Illustrator." It was published in 1946, while Rockwell was still very active.

It traces his early career, and has hundreds of illustrations, including delightful marginalia. There's also a chapter describing his studio, and how he went about his work: ideas, sketches, photographs, layout, drafts, and on and on until the final painting.

It's a great book; I recommend it highly.

Kathy and Jane , Many thanks ! No chance of running out of wonderful things to expand my time . It makes up to some degree , having to put off our Autumn trip to the UK . A further " Rockwell " item , a favorite documentary about him . You will be charmed , and its a bit of an armchair visit to the New England Berkshires . https://youtu.be/MZQnCiUqQ3Y

Steven...clearly you have a stake in Western Mass, and as a musician, I am sure you will be as saddened as I am to hear that the Boston Symphony Orchestra announced that they have cancelled their 2020 season at Tanglewood. Will miss those summer evenings picnicking on the Great Lawn listening to music. Thank you for supporting Arts and Culture in the Berkshires!

Jane, thank you for the recommendation. Some people do not believe Rockwell was an artist, and he was more an illustrator, but I consider this an art form. His Saturday Evening Post covers all "speak" and need no descriptions. You can "read" them without words. He is a national treasure.

It's indeed unfortunate that there are people ( think art snobs ) who hold that perspective . Good art is good art , regardless of its directional intent . There were many fine artists who worked in what is known as " The Golden Age of American Illustration " . The regular exhibitions of this work at the Rockwell Museum are always brilliant , and further the understanding of illustration as an important part of the art world . I hope everyone here will take the time to watch The PBS American Masters documentary ( above ) ,it goes far . We are certainly going to miss this summer , without Tanglewood .

Sorry , I couldn't resist these - New Yorker Magazine covers are often wonderful examples of illustration art . Here are two of my favorites . The first is quite prescient - https://condenaststore.com/featured/new-yorker-june-9th-2008-adrian-tomine.html This one entitled " Summer Getaway " , by the artist Peter de Seve is priceless - https://condenaststore.com/featured/new-yorker-july-28th-2008-peter-de-seve.html

This year, I've been making a point to learn more about art, mainly to add another dimension to what I see and do in Europe. However I'm intrigued in the turn this post has taken toward illustrations. Previously on this post I joked about Dogs Playing Poker, but I have fun looking at that series as well as the Rockwell drawings. But what about comic book art? Any opinions? I'm not going to say it's done by the masters, but where does it stand in the art world? I'm not a comic book nerd but when I look at prints of some of the original Batman covers it brings back happy childhood memories and I will admit it has more of an impact on me than any Renaissance art I've seen so far.

Allan , comic book art is actually a valid example of illustration . In past years there have been exhibitions of this sort of work at the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain , Connecticut . Here is some information about comic book art - https://99designs.com/blog/design-history-movements/history-of-comic-book-styles/

Susan, for some reason I've seen several Rockwell exhibits in the museum in MA, the Lucas-Spielberg collection when it was in DC, a baseball-oriented exhibit at Hillerich & Bradsby (Louisville), and I think also at the Corcoran years back. I say "for some reason" because I never considered myself a particular fan, but the man was extraordinarily talented with a spot-on sense of humor. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts recently finished an Edward Hopper exhibit "Edward Hopper and the American Hotel." I didn't realize that Hopper, in his early career, was an illustrator for lodging industry periodicals. Again, another accomplished illustrator and artist. Talent is talent.

Yes, it has always irked me that some folks don't consider Rockwell an "artist." His stuff is absolutely brilliant. The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa had a special Rockwell exhibit last year, and it was wonderful. It, like the last chapter of that book I recommended, traced how he worked, with emphasis on how the early sketches and reference photos were crafted into stunning paintings. Those who sniff that his work is too "commercial," well. There are very few artists out there who didn't try to sell their work. Look at Dalí, for Pete's sake. He actually appeared in TV commercials, selling his name to promote other products.

Grrrr. Don't get me started.

Spam by dfennelly reported.

In defense of "commercial" artists, Andrew Wyeth's father, N.C., was another extremely successful illustrator of books, ads, magazines, calendars, etc. as well as commissioned murals. Also Maxfield Parrish; a wonderful commercial illustrator. The color "Parrish blue" was named for the process he used to achieve the vivid hues that were one of his hallmarks.

As Rachel said, "Talent is talent." I wish I had even a fraction of theirs.

Jane, I won't fight you over "The Milkmaid" if you let me have "The Lacemaker"? Vermeer... What a master of light!

Kathy, it's a deal!

Since Maxfield Parrish has come up , for anyone contemplating a trip to New York City ( once things are a bit more settled ) The St Regis Hotel has a beautiful mural in the bar , worth seeing . You are free to walk in and enjoy it , no cover or minimum - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Cole_Bar About twenty blocks uptown in The Hotel Carlyle , is this famous mural by Ludwig Bemelmans - https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bemelmans-bar The stories about these two artists are worth pursuing , Bemelmans youth in The South Tyrol and arrival in NY in 1914 , and Parrish and his bittersweet love affair with Susan Lewin , which lasted fifty five years until his death in 1966 .

My local museum (Glenbow Museum) has a new director and is mandating a change from a cultural history museum to an art museum. At first I groaned in frustration, but upon closer look it may still be of interest to me. A chunk of the collection is historical paintings by amateurs documenting the passage west by the explorers. This is right up my alley as the art is more about the stories than the art. If I can't fit David into my living room then maybe this first piece by Frances Hopkins. https://www.glenbow.org/collections/art/1914.cfm

*A shout out to Jane from Sapulpa, OK whose opinions on art on this Forum have been helping me find my niche in appreciating art.

Allen, we have over the years met, "in real life" as they say, some of the folks on the Forum. Recently when I was reading one of your PMs, I thought: "I'd like to meet him some day."

Thanks for the props. I love art, and if I had my life to live over, would consider art restoration as a profession.

And I love the Frances Hopkins you mention. There were a lot more women artists working than many folks realize. A lot of them were former models, or were the wives or daughters of artists. And as I've mentioned before, most works of art have a story of some kind; part of the fun is looking for it.

Have you ever read "The Greater Journey," by David McCullough? Here's the blurb from Amazon:

tells the remarkable story of the generations of American artists,
writers, and doctors who traveled to Paris, the intellectual,
scientific, and artistic capital of the western world, fell in love
with the city and its people, and changed America through what they
learned, told by America’s master historian, David McCullough.

I read it some years ago, and then last year reread it before a trip to Paris. Lots of truly interesting bits about famous artists and others who went to Paris to learn. I recommend it highly.

I wonder if the current pandemic, with quarantining, masks, and all, will generate some kind of new, maybe mini art movement?

" I wonder if the current pandemic, with quarantining, masks, and all, will generate some kind of new, maybe mini art movement? " Cyn , I wouldn't be surprised to see something like this arise in an organic , spontaneous manner . Unfortunately , I wouldn't expect to see a movement occur as happened in the 1930's . The WPAP ( Works Progress Administration Arts Project ) was a creation of the Roosevelt Administration , progressive and far reaching . Some information here , they created a huge amount of art , much of it still extant today - www.wpamurals.com/

Yes, steven. Those murals were momentous. I remember one in particular, on the Indiana University campus. And lots of post offices got them. Today’s Internet options might produce art, although some of it may be more ephemeral, and not experienced in 80 years.

The current situation is so surreal, maybe its art might be just an extension of that category?!?

Not meaning to be a hammer , this is one of the many artists of the thirties who worked on the WPA . Paul Cadmus was brilliant , and executed his work in egg tempera , a technique largely unused since the early renaissance . Of particular interest is his painting " The Fleet's In " ( shown here ) Easily identifiable is the influence of Botticelli in this work . It caused quite a scandal in 1934 , and was the inspiration for Jerome Robbins' ballet " Fancy Free " , with music by Leonard Bernstein . It further evolved into Bernstein's Broadway musical " On The Town " . I have long loved Cadmus' work , an underrated genius - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Cadmus

I’d go for Rembrandt’s the Night Watch. It’s my first OMG travel moment.

Apparently I’d not paid any attention in my high school art history class when the size of the painting may have been mentioned.

It was my first trip to Europe. I’d gone with my then beau but was solo in Amsterdam. This was the early 70’s.

Very few people in the Rijksmuseum while I was there. I recall walking into the room, seeing the painting and not moving. I was stunned. It encompassed the entire wall. You could walk right up to it ( it was 3 years before the man slashed it with a knife). I stood there blown away by how he painted the reflection of light. The detail in the faces. Look at the lace collar.

It’s an amazing piece of art. Take a look.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52657164

Claudia, what an interesting article on an amazing work!!! And it wasn’t really a “Night” watch, but by the late 1800’s, darkened layers of varnish made it seem to depict a night scene, giving it that name. Who knew? But that explains the little girl clutching the dead chicken - what would she have been doing out late at night? Thank you for this!

Back to Allan’s mention of David - Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw put it on the cover of their Europe 101 book, wearing a tourist’s good camera around its neck. Silly and ironic update on the book, but I’m guessing the Accademia won’t be putting a giant medical mask on the statue to reflect the current situation. The V&A in London, however, could put the big plaster fig leaf over the face of its copy - that wouldn’t be sacrilegious, and could lighten up things!

Speaking of statues, any idea what costumes Manneken Pis has been wearing in Brussels? First-line medical professional? Social distancing enforcement officer? Toilet paper hoarder?

@Cyn you are welcome.

BTW if and when “we” travel again I’d like to hitchhike on the WPA murals conversation. If visiting the City By The Bay ( San Francisco) please enjoy a drive down the Coast Hwy from Lands End to the Beach Chalet. There is a stellar WPA mural inside. I always find another nuance each time I look at it.

There are a few WPA murals in San Francisco. This one I enjoy the most. https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/beach-chalet-mural-san-francisco-ca/

Cyn and Claudia - The WPA website isn't only about murals . There is much more information about many of the artists who worked in the project , history information and short biographies of most of the artists involved . Among them , to name a few - Stuart Davis , Stevan Dohanos , Childe Hassam , Reginald Marsh . This Dohanos , " Rainy Day at the Beach " is a favorite , he was influenced by Rockwell - https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=H6sZUR0p&id=7106FBEDD0B491D1BE87BF9D76043D035C1D0879&thid=OIP.H6sZUR0pJHgeyxxJcxMuUwHaHa&mediaurl=http%3a%2f%2fimgsrc.art.com%2fimg%2fprint%2fprint%2fstevan-dohanos-rainy-day-at-beach-rental-july-31-1948_a-g-8290752-8880742.jpg%3fw%3d775%26h%3d775&exph=775&expw=775&q=stevan+dohanos+rainy+day+at+the+beach&simid=608052770493042453&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0

@Steven The reason I shared the link in the first place was so interested posters might learn a few things about the history of WPA murals history and their artists.

Good idea , I wasn't sure whether you were aware that the site went further than the murals . Glad you saw it , Thanks ! EDIT - my apologies . I didn't realize your link went further , I just went there for a detailed look . Actually it's a better reference than the one I posted .

...to the Beach Chalet. There is a stellar WPA mural inside.

Ooh, Claudia, I've seen those too and agree that they're wonderful!

It also brings back memories of one of the longest days we've ever spent on foot: Yerba Buena Gardens > breakfast in Haight Ashbury > to the end of Golden Gate Park (with a stop at the Japanese Garden) and a break for a beer + murals at the Beach Chalet. Up the coast to Sutro Baths and onward on the Coastal Trail to Baker Beach, GG viewpoint, the Batteries, Crissy Field and Ft. Mason, and collapsed at a really horrible little bar not long after that point. My DH still hasn't quite forgiven me for THAT little adventure but we saw a lot!