Hugh Duncan (American 1924 – 2001)

Gas Stop, second half 20th Century, watercolor on paper, 22 x 15 inches, signed lower right, titled in pencil verso (another work verso); nicely framed to allow both works to be viewed

$850

About the Painting

Gas Stop is a fine example of Hugh Duncan’s mature work. Duncan uses spare brush strokes and allows portions of the unpigmented paper to show through to define the light and space of a rural gas station nestled in the California foothills. Travelers are in the foreground at what appears to be a water tank, while a truck lumbers along the road in the background. Although Duncan is best known for his depictions of sailing, yacht races and harbor cruises, Gas Stop portrays California’s other transportation passion, car travel, which became a defining feature of post-war life in the Southland.

About the Artist

Hugh Duncan was a Southern California painter, commercial artist, and teacher. He studied at the Allied School of Applied Arts (Glendale), the Art Center School (Los Angeles), and the Chouinard Art Institute (Los Angeles) with several important painters, including Arthur Beaumont, Rex Brandt, Ralph Hullet and Charles Payzant. In 1951, he exhibited at White’s Art Store in Montrose, California, as part of a show titled, “Four GIs.” He is listed in McClelland and Last’s California Watercolors 1850 – 1970.