21014. Charles Rollo Peters Nocturnal Painting Sutter’s Fort c1910. Oil painting on canvas. Signed. Excellent condition. 16″h x 24″w. Frame 23″h x 31″w $18,000
Charles Rollo Peters was one of the most successful and respected painters of his time. Based in San Francisco and Monterey Peters travelled extensively where he was exposed to emerging trends in painting including tonalism and the nocturnal paintings of James McNeill Whistler. Whistler, in turn, was said to have high praise for Peters’ work.
This painting is an extremely rare depiction of Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento by a major artist. The blue/purple/brown tonality is characteristic of Peters’ mature style as is the reflection of water in the foreground. The only other known image of Sutter’s Fort by Peters hangs in the prestigious University Club on Nob Hill where Peters was a longtime member.
Nocturnal tonalist paintings of adobe structures like this brought Peters international fame. Unlike the often repetitive images of Monterey adobes, this is a rare and historically significant image of an iconic Gold Rush landmark making it a distinctive and highly collectable work of art.
