Maurice Braun (1877–1941) stands out as a prominent figure in the early development of California Impressionism.[1] Known for his vivid landscapes, Braun was deeply inspired by the natural world and often explored the connection between nature and spirituality in his work.
Raised in New York City, Braun spent his youth captivated by art, frequently visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Despite family opposition, he pursued formal training at the National Academy of Design between 1897 and 1900. He then studied with the celebrated American painter William Merritt Chase, whose influence helped shape Braun’s artistic foundation.
Though he found early success as a portrait painter in New York, Braun sought a more personal artistic path. In 1909, he relocated to San Diego, where the expansive views, rugged hills and coastal scenery offered fresh inspiration. These Southern California landscapes became the hallmark of his career.
Braun approached each painting with careful planning. He would often begin by sketching the landscape in detail. With this structure in place, he used color and space expressively to evoke not just the scene itself, but the feeling it conveyed.
One of his most celebrated works, “Mission Valley” (1919), which appears on this week’s cover, demonstrates his sensitivity to light and form, and affirms his legacy as one of the leading artists of his generation in San Diego.
References
- A theory or practice in painting especially among French painters of about 1870 of depicting the natural appearances of objects by means of dabs or strokes of primary unmixed colors in order to simulate actual reflected light. ↩︎
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