Past Exhibitions
Francis McComas: Rediscovering California's First Modernist
An influential artist once rated "among the twenty best painters of the world," Francis McComas (1874 – 1938) is one of art history's greatest lost treasures. While his name is less familiar than Pollock or Monet, there was a time, not so long ago, when McComas was among the most famous artists on Earth. Newspapers from San Francisco, New York, Paris and London celebrated his unique genius. A boxer, a dancer, and a drinker, he was a brazen man renowned for his charm and acerbic wit, and counted among his personal friends Jack London, William Keith, and Charlie Chaplain. Princes and presidents alike sought him out, eager to meet the bon vivant Tasmanian whose triumphs spread through the art world like wildfire.
Francis McComas: Rediscovering California's First Modernist, guest curated by Robert J. Pierce for the Monterey Museum of Art, will be the artist's first retrospective since his 1939 memorial exhibition at San Francisco's Legion of Honor. With an emphasis on his larger, later, most modern works, this exhibition will tell McComas' story through an examination of his strongest paintings and a selection of never before-seen personal photos. The show will explore his ever-changing style, told against the backdrop of California's evolving art world. This exhibition will present a twenty-first century look at this historic artist, correct errors and omissions in the historical record, and help to return him to his place as one of America's most significant painters. Eighty years after his death, Mc Comas' story has languished for too long. Truly, now is the time to tell it, or risk losing it forever.
NEW! Join Gallerist Terry Trotter and Art Historian Kent Seavey as they explore the world that inspired California Artist Francis McComas
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Susan DuCoeur, Joel Garzoli of Joel B. Garzoli Fine Art, San Francisco and Jeff Chambers & Andi Okamura
Image: Francis Mc Comas (1874-1938), Monterey Cypress, n.d., oil on canvas, 36 x 75 inches. Private Collection. Courtesy Josh Hardy Galleries LLC.
Additional Francis McComas Sources
Suggested sources for additional reading on Francis McComas provided by Robert Pierce.
A fun little article about "Symphony of Historic Monterey," the McComas painting that hangs in Monterey's City Council chambers and is featured in our exhibition.
A short article from "Moving Picture World" in 1923, shortly after McComas designed a set for the Cecil B. Demille film The 10 Commandments, where McComas is called the "world's greatest artist in water colors".
A photo of McComas and Demille on the Cecil B. Demille website.
This is really the only decent biography of Francis McComas that exists — other than our own, of course! Written and compiled by Robert Edwards for TFAO, see pg. 507 of the book or pg 18 of the pdf for the section on Francis.
Some interesting info about who exhibited at the Carmel Art Association and when, from the Traditional Fine Arts Organization.
A letter from Francis to Isabella Stewart Gardner.
The painting mentioned in the letter, hanging in what is now the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
A very short bio on McComas.
A page from The Met on their McComas piece. The painting is actually pretty significant, as it was exhibited at the Armory Show, which most art people will recognize the importance of or at least will have heard of. Also, according to historic newspaper archives, allegedly McComas was the first Australian artist to be represented in the Met's collection, although I have not independently verified that.