James Fitzgerald

(Am. 1899-1971)

Farmhouse with Chickens

Watercolor on paper, framed under glass

Signed l.r.

19 3/8" x 25" actual, 28 1/2" x 34" framed

The location of Farmhouse with Chickens is, according to historian Calvin Hennig, a ?delightful puzzle?. While the hilly landscape in the background and the red tin roof both suggest a Californian scene (Fitzgerald arrived in California in 1928 after spending a period of time in the Caribbean), the color palette is more vibrant and varied than his typical California paintings. Hennig notes that ?In so many ways, this work -- definitely a Fitzgerald -- seems an outlier. It's tropical exuberance and colors seem like that painted by a man fresh from the Caribbean who here is translating a modest California subject through that lens.?