John Marshall Gamble

Michael Levy Gallery, Long Beach, California

Acquired from the above by the present owner

John Marshall Gamble began his artistic career at the San Francisco School of Design under the training of painters Emil Carlsen and Virgil William in 1883. He soon left to pursue a European arts education in figure painting at the Colarossi in Paris. Upon his return to the states in 1893 he moved back to San Francisco and started his career, painting there for thirteen years. Following the earthquake of 1906 he made his way out to Los Angeles, reuniting with fellow artist Elmer Watchel in the process. After stopping in Santa Barbara to paint around this time, Gamble never left, continuing the rest of his life and career capturing the flower fields and other scenic landscapes there until 1957.

Known for depicting the luscious, flower-covered hills of Santa Barbara, Gamble is renowned for his California landscape scenes. He is particularly famed for his rolling hills speckled with bright poppies, as evident in the present work. Poppies and Lupine is a prime example of how Gamble could recreate a luxurious depiction of California’s native flora and greenery juxtaposed in front of distant mountains, showcasing the entirety of the state’s unique landscape within one canvas. Gamble’s works are included in notable institutional collections such as the California Historical Society in San Francisco and the Fleischer Museum in Scottsdale.