January 26 - April 20, 2008
Artist Edwin Deakin's (1838–1923) paintings are highly regarded as major achievements in American art. In his own time, as now, the paintings were popular for their beauty and because they romantically depict California's early architecture, particularly the missions, as well as European landscapes and the vanishing California wilderness. Equally gifted at still-life painting, Deakin also produced lavish depictions of fruit and flowers.
Born in England, Deakin moved to San Francisco in 1870, where he established a studio and exhibited regularly. This exhibition includes nearly 50 paintings and rarely seen works on paper that span the breadth of his career. Of special interest are 19 paintings recently transferred to the Crocker from the State of California's Department of Finance.