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Milford Zornes (1908-2008)
“Cripple Creek”
1944
Watercolor on paper
21” H x 29” W (image size)
31.5” H x 39.5” W (frame size)
Signed lower right: Zornes
Estimated value: $1,000 - $1,500
Artist Biography
Milford Zornes (1908-2008) was born in Oklahoma, and moved west to California during the Dust Bowl years. At age twenty, he hitchhiked across the United States, worked as a longshoreman on the docks in New York City, and then traveled to Europe. After his return to Los Angeles in the early 1930s, Zornes studied at the Otis Art Institute. His interest in watercolor eventually led him to seek out and study with Millard Sheets, who was an art professor at Scripps College in Claremont, California.
For California artists during the 1920s, watercolor was a relatively inexpensive medium that could be easily transported for on-site paintings. Instead of using it to just color drawings, artists began to use watercolor as a medium, substantial in itself, like oil. Those working in this genre were part of the California Watercolor Society that included Phil Dike and Sheets. These artists expanded the vocabulary of traditional watercolor painting by heightening the expressive qualities of the medium and expanding the size.
Joining the group in the 1930s, Zornes quickly became an artist of major importance. He was given a one-man show at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1933. President and Mrs.Franklin D. Roosevelt noticed his work and selected a painting for the White House. The quick transformation from art student to a nationally-recognized artist helped Zornes launch a career that took him around the world and established him as a key figure among California-style artists. Zornes' works are distinguished by their broad, sweeping brushstrokes and unusually large scale. Zornes also proved to be a master in the use of unpainted areas of white to define forms in paintings.
Auction Information
The 14th Annual Fine Art Auction Fundraiser
Saturday, August 17, 2024
The silent auction starts at 3:00 PM.
The live auction starts at 4:00 PM.
Auction admission: $15.00 SPAM members, $20.00 Non-members
All proceeds benefit the Santa Paula Art Museum, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization #2478728.
All major credit cards, check, and cash are accepted.
Sales tax will be applied to all hammer prices. There is no buyer’s premium.