Raymond Dabb Yelland

English-born artist Raymond Dabb Yelland (1848–1900) became an important contributor to the art world of Northern California, from his arrival in 1873 until his early death in 1900. He was esteemed both for his career as a landscape painter and for his dedication to teaching. The 25 landscapes in this exhibition illustrate his transition from the Hudson River School style of painting, which focused on topographically recognizable scenes painted with meticulous, albeit enhanced, realism, to a more loosely painted, evocative aesthetic popularized by the French Barbizon painters. Many of the paintings in the exhibition glow in the gentle radiance of late afternoon or evening, showcasing Yelland’s keen ability to capture light. These landscapes in particular manifest the artist’s familiarity with Transcendentalist ideas and suggest the spirituality he believed was inherent to California nature. 

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.