William Wendt's Lupine Patch sells in California art sale

William Wendt's Lupine Patch (1921) has sold for $233,000.

The painting was among the highlights of an auction of California and western art at Bonhams in LA on August 2.

William Wendt Lupine
Lupine Patch is a classic example of William Wendt's work 

Wendt is a key figure in the development of the west coast art scene.

He's affectionately known as the "Dean of California Painters" in reference to his enthusiasm for mentoring budding artists.

Along with his wife he founded the California Art Club in 1909. The institute was unusually inclusive for its time and welcomed women as members.

Wendt retains a large and active following, with a $1.5m record for his work set in a 2014 sale.

The present lot is the only known work by Wendt to display wild lupine, a plant native to California.

Victor William Higgins' Woman gathering Water in the Placita realised $209,000.

Higgins travelled from rural Indiana to Chicago at the turn of the 19th century.

While there he came under the influence of "The Eight", a group of artists focused on portraying the realities of urban life, and his work bears a marked similarity to theirs.

In 1913 he moved to Taos, New Mexico - where the present piece was painted.

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