Louise by William Gaw, Oil on Canvas P3561

Louise by California artist William Alexander Gaw (1891–1973), oil on canvas, circa 1925. Gaw was a San Francisco-born painter and longtime California artist who studied under James Martin Griffin and at the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art. Known primarily for his landscapes and still lifes, Gaw also produced portraits and experimented with early modernist influences including Cubism and Post-Impressionism. He later became a respected educator, teaching at the California School of Fine Arts and serving as head of the art department at Mills College. This portrait of Louise dates to the 1920s and captures the quiet, slightly modern character of Gaw’s work from this period. Measures 30" x 36", in frame 32.5" x 38.5"