Charlotte Elizabeth Bodwell Morgan (1867 – 1947)

Untitled (Carmel), c. 1920s, oil on canvas, signed lower right, 18 x 24 inches, signed several times verso, illegible writing verso with the word “Carmel” and what appears to be “Rooms and Apts,” perhaps the title of the work

$2750

Untitled (Carmel) is a pleasing example of California plein air painting from the early 20th century. Morgan's light touch and pastel-colored palette do a convincing job of capturing the unique California light falling over a downtown street in Carmel, a burgeoning tourist destination. The artist spent much of her career in Northern California and was a member of the Carmel Art Association. Born in Lakeville, California, Morgan studied at the San Francisco School of Design with Arthur Matthews and Emil Carlsen and later in life at the University of California Berkeley where she earned an MFA degree in 1928. She exhibited across Northern California, including at the Mechanics Institute in San Francisco, with the San Francisco Art Association, Carmel Arts & Crafts Club, Carmel Art Association, California Statewide Exhibitions, and Oakland Art Gallery. She was the sister-in-law of fellow artist Mary DeNeale Morgan, with whom she sometimes shared a studio. Charlotte Morgan is listed in Who Was Who in American Art and other standard references.