Lot 1420: Adele (Fanny) Watson (American

Adele (Fanny) Watson (American/California, 1873-1947), "Search Thy Spirit", oil on canvas, signed lower right, pencil-signed, titled, and typewritten label en verso, 30 1/8 in. x 40 1/8 in., framed.
Provenance: Southern Art Collection of Steven Cabot Barnes Harvey.
Note: During the early 20th century, the Symbolist art movement took hold in America. Drawing inspiration from William Blake and the Pre-Raphaelites, these artists employed mystical imagery to express moods, emotions and ideas. Adele Watson, who had studied at the Art Students League and in Paris, divided her time between her Washington Square studio in New York City and Pasadena, California. Her close friendship with the Lebanese-American philosopher, mystical poet, artist and writer Kahlil Gibran influenced the tone of her paintings.
In the somber and mysterious painting "Search Thy Spirit," Watson placed several nude figures on the rocky California coast. Here she uses a rich blue palette, which represents divine contemplation, faith and eternity.
Reference: Murphy, Maureen and Michael Kelly, "Dreams, Visions and Imagination: An Exhibition of the Symbolic and Imaginative Paintings by California Artists, 1910-1930," exhibition catalogue, Montecito, California, 1990; and "Adele Watson," exhibition catalogue, Pasadena Public Library, California, 1953.