Palm Desert

EXHIBITIONS ARTWORK ON VIEW RELATED NEWS SERVICES

Our gallery in Palm Desert is centrally located in the Palm Springs area of California, adjacent to the popular shopping and dining area of El Paseo. Our clientele appreciates our selection of Post War, Modern, and Contemporary art. The gorgeous weather during the winter months draws visitors from all over the world to see our beautiful desert, and stop by our gallery. The mountainous desert landscape outside provides the perfect scenic backdrop to the visual feast that awaits inside.

45188 Portola Avenue
Palm Desert, CA 92260
(760) 346-8926

Hours:
Monday through Saturday: 9am – 5pm

Exhibitions

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CURRENT

Hans Hofmann: The Father of Abstract Expressionism

February 3 - July 31, 2025

CURRENT

Sound and Spectacle: Harry Bertoia and George Rickey

June 26, 2024 - September 30, 2025

CURRENT

Meeting Life: N.C. Wyeth and the MetLife Murals

July 18, 2022 - April 30, 2025

Ansel Adams: Affirmation of Life

December 1, 2023 - March 25, 2025

Alexander Calder: Shaping a Primary Universe

August 23, 2023 - March 25, 2025

Hans Hofmann

August 14, 2024 - February 28, 2025

Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Modern Art, Modern Friendship

July 13, 2023 - January 31, 2025

Art Under $100,000

July 25, 2024 - January 31, 2025

Your Heart’s Blood: Intersections of Art and Literature

September 12, 2022 - December 31, 2024

No Other Land: A Century of American Landscapes

September 21, 2023 - December 31, 2024

Florals for Spring, Groundbreaking

May 8, 2023 - August 31, 2024

First Circle: Circles in Art

February 14, 2023 - August 31, 2024

Art of the American West: A Prominent Collection

August 24, 2023 - August 31, 2024

Paintings of Dorothy Hood

March 18 - July 19, 2024

Irving Norman: Dark Matter

November 27, 2019 - June 30, 2024

Picasso: Beyond the Canvas

October 4, 2023 - April 30, 2024

Paper Cut: Unique Works on Paper

April 27, 2022 - October 31, 2023

Andy Warhol: Glamour at the Edge

October 27, 2021 - September 30, 2023

More to Life: Impressionist Dialogues from Monet and Beyond

August 17, 2022 - August 31, 2023

A Beautiful Time: American Art in the Gilded Age

June 24, 2021 - August 31, 2023

Alexander Calder: A Universe of Painting

August 10, 2022 - August 31, 2023

It Was Acceptable in the 80s

April 27, 2021 - August 31, 2023

Paul Jenkins: Coloring the Phenomenal

December 27, 2019 - March 31, 2023

N.C. Wyeth: A Decade of Painting

September 29, 2022 - March 31, 2023

Norman Zammitt: The Progression of Color

March 19, 2020 - February 28, 2023

Georgia O’Keeffe and Marsden Hartley: Modern Minds

February 1, 2022 - February 28, 2023

Figurative Masters of the Americas

January 4 - February 12, 2023

James Rosenquist: Potent Pop

June 7, 2021 - January 31, 2023

Abstract Expressionism: Transcending the Radical

January 12, 2022 - January 31, 2023

My Own Skin: Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

June 16 - December 31, 2022

Josef Albers: The Heart of Painting

May 12 - November 30, 2022

Abstract Expressionism: The Persistent Women

November 1, 2021 - August 31, 2022

Alexander Calder: Painting the Cosmos

March 2 - August 12, 2022

Mercedes Matter: A Miraculous Quality

March 22, 2021 - June 30, 2022

Moore! Moore! Moore! Henry Moore and Sculpture

March 3, 2021 - April 30, 2022

Elaine and Willem de Kooning: Painting in the Light

August 3, 2021 - January 31, 2022

Jewish Modernism Part 2: Figuration from Chagall to Norman

April 30, 2020 - December 31, 2021

Andy Warhol Polaroids: Me, Myself, & I

December 10, 2020 - December 31, 2021

American Eye: Selections from the Pardee Collection

February 28 - December 31, 2021

Andy Warhol Polaroids: Ars Longa

December 10, 2020 - December 31, 2021

Andy Warhol Polaroids: All That Glitters

December 10, 2020 - December 31, 2021

Andy Warhol Polaroids: Bring It to the Runway

December 10, 2020 - December 31, 2021

The Gloria Luria Collection

March 16, 2020 - October 31, 2021

Vincent van Gogh and The Great Impressionists of the Grand Boulevard

March 2 - August 10, 2021

Pop Figures: Mel Ramos and Tom Wesselmann

March 26, 2020 - April 30, 2021

Jewels of Impressionism and Modern Art

February 19 - October 31, 2020

Cool Britannia: The Young British Artists

April 2 - September 30, 2020

The Californians

November 1, 2019 - February 14, 2020

Sam Francis: From Dusk to Dawn

November 15, 2018 - April 29, 2019

N.C. Wyeth: Paintings and Illustrations

February 1 - May 31, 2018

The Paintings of Sir Winston Churchill

March 21 - May 30, 2018

Ferrari and Futurists: An Italian Look at Speed

November 21, 2016 - January 30, 2017

Alexander Calder

November 21, 2015 - May 28, 2016

Masters of California Impressionism

November 22, 2014 - May 23, 2015

Painterly Abstraction: Spheres of AbEx

November 25, 2011 - May 31, 2012

Masters of Impressionism and Modern Art

November 20, 2010 - September 25, 2011

Picasso

November 20, 2009 - May 25, 2010

ARTWORK ON VIEW

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GEORGIA O'KEEFFE

DIEGO RIVERA

According to the catalogue raisonné compiled by The Brandywine River Museum of Art, the preliminary drawing for Puritan Cod Fishers was completed by N. C Wyeth prior to his death in October 1945. The entry records an image of the sketch as well as the artist’s inscriptions and its title, Puritan Cod Fishers, characterized by the catalogue as ‘alternate’. In either case, the large-scale canvas is a unique work that Andrew Wyeth later recalled was painted solely by his hand, a demarcated collaboration of the father’s design and composition brought to fruition by a remarkable son’s execution. For Andrew, it must have been a deeply felt and emotional experience. Given his father’s attention to detail and authenticity, the lines of the small sailing craft represent a shallot, in use during the sixteenth century. On the other hand, Andrew likely deepened the hues of the restless sea more so than his father might have, a choice that appropriately heightens the perilous nature of the task.

Andrew Wyeth & N. C. Wyeth

WILLEM DE KOONING

N.C. WYETH

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>From the earliest days of painting during the nineteenth century, which was precipitated by the advent of Impressionism, Renoir established a reputation as the finest portrait painter among the emerging landscapists. Works such as Lise with a Parasol (1867) demonstrated his ability to capture the essence of his subjects with a distinctive flair, setting him apart from his peers. Inspired by a transformative trip to Italy in 1882, Renoir shifted his approach, emphasizing modeling and contours with smooth, blended handling, integrating a new found rigor and clarity reminiscent of the old masters. Often referred to as Renoir’s “Ingres period,” he retained the reputation of the painter best suited to manage the traditional process of recording a sitter's likeness with the distinctive flair and vibrancy of an Impressionist. </font></div>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>By 1890, Renoir’s style evolved again. He thinned his pigments to achieve a jewel-like translucence, infusing his works with a tender, ethereal quality. This final phase reflects the physical limitations of encroaching rheumatoid arthritis but also a deeper, more reflective approach to his subjects, capturing their inner light and character with subtle, luminous strokes. </font></div>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>No longer obliged to rely upon society portrait commissions, by 1900, Renoir began to focus on portraits and studies of family, close friends, and neighbors. “Fillette à l’orange”, painted in 1911, extends our appreciation of his very personal, intimate style and reputation for imbuing his portraits of children with all the affectionate charm he could muster. It avoids the softer, generalized approach that prompted his son Jean’s remark that “we are all Renoir’s children, ”idealized versions of beauty and sensuality expressed in universal rather than with physiognomic specifics. We may never know her identity, but her likeness is vivid because Renoir concentrates on her face and expression. Nevertheless, the interplay of light and color highlights her features and brings to life the tender and affectionate nature characteristic of Renoir’s later portraits. An orange as an accessory is often included in portraiture as a symbol of fertility. Yet, here, it seems to serve as a formal element for the artist to demonstrate his skill at displaying its size, shape, and heft in this young girl's hand.</font></div>

PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR

WINSLOW HOMER

RUFINO TAMAYO

HANS HOFMANN

MARC CHAGALL

SEAN SCULLY

HANS HOFMANN

PIERRE BONNARD

CAMILLE CLAUDEL

DAMIEN HIRST

HANS HOFMANN

$<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Hans Hofmann explored linearity and color with persistence during the late 1940s, creating a tension between Cubist structure and gestural abstraction. In this painting, <em>Fruit Bowl #1</em>, the linear impulse takes center stage, with dynamic black contours weaving and unspooling across the canvas, limning forms that merely hint at a still-life composition. Hofmann's approach is far from conventional; the traditional fruit bowl is fractured and reimagined into an abstract interplay of geometric and organic shapes. The addition of bright, flatly applied patches and demarcation of green, red, and yellow punctuates the composition, adding an energetic entropy and vitality. Hofmann's raw, alluring, yet slightly uncomfortable palette and gestural freedom elevate the piece beyond its Cubist origins, revealing an artist deeply engaged with the challenges of mid-20th-century abstraction. Hofmann's lines and color fields balance spontaneity with control, oscillating between chaos and structure.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Fruit Bowl #1</em> reflects Hofmann's ongoing dialogue with earlier European modernists while pushing toward the freer instincts of American Abstract Expressionism. Often criticized as misaligned with the rising dominance of gestural abstraction, paintings from this period in Hofmann's career remain his own—vibrant, exploratory, and unapologetically personal.</font></div>$

HANS HOFMANN

ELAINE DE KOONING

THÉO VAN RYSSELBERGHE

AMEDEO MODIGLIANI

HANS HOFMANN

HIROSHI SENJU

HANS HOFMANN

HERB ALPERT

HARRY BERTOIA

MAX WEBER

MEL RAMOS

CAMILLE PISSARRO

This painting has remained in the same private collection since its creation. Along with its companion work, "Untitled" (1991) was on display in the lobby of Chicago's Heller International Building at 500 West Monroe Street from the building's opening in 1992 until its renovation in 2015.
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<br>The November 2018 sale of Schnabel's "Large Rose Painting, (Near Van Gogh's Grave)" for $1.2 million at auction demonstrates a strong demand for the artist's work. This major sale was only the second-highest price paid for a Schnabel at auction: the record was set in November of 2017 when "Ethnic Type #14" sold for $1.4 million.
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<br>A recent museum exhibition, "Julian Schnabel: Symbols of Actual Life" at the Legion of Honor, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, in 2018, featured several of Schnabel's large-scale paintings.

JULIAN SCHNABEL

Of Herb Albert’s many bronze cast, silky-black patinated spirit totems, few have the distinctively masculine feel of Warrior. Topped with a descending, serrated crown that could as easily refer to the crest of a bird of prey as the headdress of a Plains Indian chief the title “Warrior” is an apt description that addresses the attributes of strength, courage, and unbreakable spirit among others. Much like the work of Henry Moore, those associations depend, in part, upon negative space to create the dynamic and strong impression this formidable sculpture makes.

HERB ALPERT

ROGER BROWN

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Executed in mixed media on paper, <em>The Indian</em> from 1944 showcases Hofmann’s ability to offer a powerful interplay between abstraction and figuration. Surrounded by an atmospheric expanse of deep blues and punctuated by vivid accents of red and yellow, the central form suggests the stylized head of a Native American. Shaped not by direct detailing techniques but subtractive reduction, Hofmann shaped the figure by enclosing it with dynamic strokes of the deep blue surround, punctuated by vivid reds and yellows, as if carving the form out of the surrounding space. This approach emphasizes the figure’s presence while allowing it to remain enigmatic, suspended within an atmospheric mélange of bold, gestural marks.</font></div>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The tension between the central form and its vibrant background exemplifies Hofmann’s transition during the 1940s from Cubist rigor to more unrestricted, expressionistic techniques. <em>The Indian</em> captures the energy of this pivotal period, with its layered abstraction and symbolic undertones reflecting Hofmann’s ability to unite gestural spontaneity with deliberate compositional balance.</font></div>

HANS HOFMANN

ROLAND PETERSEN

JOHN CHAMBERLAIN

GEORGE RICKEY

ALEXANDER CALDER

© 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

ALEXANDER CALDER

ANDY WARHOL

MICHAEL CORINNE WEST

RICHARD PRINCE

ALEXANDER CALDER

The daughter of minimalist sculptor Tony Smith, Kiki's art is not limited to any single medium or technique, and her work often invites multiple interpretations. Club embodies the form and dimensions of a human leg, the essential element for movement and stability. Smith's title invites the viewer to reimagine a leg as a weapon and consider the fragility of the human condition, the power dynamics of bodily autonomy, and the complex interplay between strength and vulnerability. Such a transformation of a body part into an object conveys both protection and aggression and reflects upon how gender-specific bodies navigate our social and personal environment. Club exemplifies Smith's ability to create pieces rich in symbolism, open to interpretation, and provoke thought about the human experience.

KIKI SMITH

DEBORAH BUTTERFIELD

THÉO VAN RYSSELBERGHE

JOAN MIRO

MANUEL NERI

"A Dream Within a Dream" is a significant series of paintings and silkscreens by Ryan McGinnes that takes its name from a famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe. Exploring themes of perception, reality, and the subconscious mind, McGinnes incorporates a variety of symbols and motifs, including geometric shapes, botanical elements, and figurative motifs, which he arranges in intricate patterns that seem to shift and morph before the viewer's eyes. The title suggests a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty, reflecting the elusive nature of reality and the fleeing quality of human experience. By engaging with themes of perception and illusion, McGinnes encourages viewers to question their assumptions about the world and to consider the possibility that reality may be more fluid and subjective than it appears.

RYAN MCGINNESS

DEBORAH BUTTERFIELD

HERB ALPERT

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The monotype holds a distinctive place within Gauguin's oeuvre, offering a window into the artist's innovative process and his quest to reconcile the challenge of unifying painting and drawing. This medium became the foundation of an impressive corpus that evolved from his innovative Brittany woodcuts and, later, as the means to reimagine the boundaries between printmaking, drawing, and painting during his years in Tahiti and the Marquesas. </font></div>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>“<em>Bathers”</em> belongs to Gauguin's 1899–1903 series of "traced monotypes," a technique where the artist drew or pressed on the back of paper placed over an inked or painted surface, resulting in a single reversed impression. This process introduced subtle textures and a sense of immediacy while allowing Gauguin to explore the interplay of positive and negative forms. By late 1902, the artist had begun keying the drawings on the versos of these monotypes to the direction of his paintings, resulting in a deliberate reversal of themes. The reversed orientation of this monotype, for example, is associated with the painting "<em>Famille tahitienne</em>" (W.618, Stephen A. Cohen collection, a.k.a., “<em>A Walk by the Sea</em>”), and it exemplifies this practice, raising intriguing questions about the creation sequence.</font></div>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The reversed orientation offers a compelling argument for understanding the monotype as a concurrent experiment rather than a preparatory study. Rather than serving as a preliminary blueprint, the monotype served as a dynamic tool for experimentation, allowing Gauguin to analyze and retest compositional ideas, color harmonies, and spatial relationships in real-time. The act of transferring the image introduced an element of unpredictability—textures softened, colors became more fluid, and linear forms took on painterly qualities. This spontaneity enabled Gauguin to step outside the constraints of oil painting, offering him fresh insights into how elements of the composition could evolve. Through this iterative process, the monotype would have informed adjustments to “<em>Famille tahitienne</em>,” enriching the painting's vibrancy, depth, and compositional balance. The interplay between the two mediums underscores Gauguin's innovative approach, treating the monotype not as a secondary exercise but as an integral part of his artistic vision.</font></div>
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<br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>While the monotype lacks the polished refinement of the painting, its raw immediacy and formal sensitivity reveal Gauguin's fascination with experimentation and spontaneity. Far from being a preparatory study, “<em>Bathers”</em> likely enabled Gauguin to deconstruct and reimagine <em>“Famille tahitienne” </em>as he worked. This creative interplay underscores Gauguin's broader artistic quest during his later years: to distill the essence of life and nature into forms that combine immediacy with timeless resonance.</font></div>

PAUL GAUGUIN

MANUEL NERI

ANDY WARHOL

<div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>María Blanchard, born in 1881, initially emerged as a committed Cubist painter, heavily influenced by her friendships with Juan Gris and other avant-garde figures. Her work in the 1910s showcased rigorous geometric abstraction, yet by the early 1920s, she began to transition toward a more figurative style. This shift aligned her with the “<em>Retour à l'ordre”</em> movement, in which many artists returned to more classical forms after the upheavals of war and early avant-garde experimentation. Blanchard's increasing focus on emotional depth and human subjects became a defining feature of these later works, culminating in pieces like "<em>Fillette à la pomme</em>."</font></div>
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<br><div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Blanchard's Cubist roots, prominent in the angular treatment of the hands and apple, are softened throughout the girl's modest attire, suggesting a spiritual or religious significance. The model's pious countenance and the muted palette of browns, grays, and blues further reinforce that the painting continues a thread of religious themes, as seen in Picasso's early masterwork, "<em>The First Communion</em>," and Blanchard's own "<em>Girl at her First Communion</em>." The apple held in hand introduces layers of symbolism, often representing knowledge, innocence, or temptation, an association that suggests an emotional transition, bridging childhood and deeper awareness.</font></div>
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<br><div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Blanchard's ability to fuse Cubist form with symbolic narrative and emotional complexity makes this painting a poignant reflection of her evolution as an artist. She humanizes the rigid forms of Cubism while imbuing her subjects with depth and inner life.</font></div>

MARIA BLANCHARD

<div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Born in 1881, the same year as fellow Spaniard Pablo Picasso, María Blanchard carved her distinct path within modernist art, blending Cubist influences with emotional depth. <em>"La Comida" </em>demonstrates Blanchard's evolution towards a more figurative style while retaining explicit Cubist references. This shift aligns her work with the “<em>Retour à l'ordre”</em> movement, a tendency many fellow artists embraced at the time. Thematically, “<em>La Comida</em>” recalls van Gogh's early works, particularly "<em>The Potato Eaters</em>" (1885), in both palette and subject matter. Like van Gogh, Blanchard draws attention to the simplicity of rural life, using muted tones of browns, reds, and ochres to convey the grounded, almost austere nature of the figures around the table.</font></div>
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<br><div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Blanchard’s work after 1921 progressively bridged the gap between the rigid forms of early Cubism and a more emotive, personal representation of her subjects. Geometric rigors are present, but the scene's naturalistic light and volumetric composition echo Cézanne's influence. The sharp brushstrokes and angular figures evoke a sense of protection, reflecting Blanchard's intention to shield the inner spirit of her characters from the gaze of others. Yet, her sensitive portrayal invites viewers to connect emotionally with her work, engendering a sense of intimacy and quiet communion. Despite the somber palette, there is a subtle warmth, with the figures' inner spirit shielded from judgment, much like those in van Gogh's painting. Yet in synthesizing elements of Cubism, Blanchard added emotional complexity to the rural themes van Gogh explored, making her contribution distinct yet reflective of earlier artistic traditions.</font></div>

MARIA BLANCHARD

CHINESE

HARRY BERTOIA

JOSEPH STELLA

WILLIAM WENDT

MARC QUINN

Jaudon was one of the founders of the Pattern and Decoration movement. With a foundation of feminist theory, Jaudon repositioned what were considered trivial art forms and minor visual images. These forms and symbols were relegated because of their association with the feminine or non-Western.
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<br>At the same time, Palmyra exemplifies the ability of Jaudon to create aesthetically beautiful works. Jaudon interweaves shades of red into ornate arabesques recalling gothic stonework, celtic knots, and Islamic calligraphy. The crispness of the lines against the impasto and the layering of red tones makes it appear that the lines are carved like stone.

VALERIE JAUDON

RICHARD ANUSZKIEWICZ

HARRY BERTOIA

JOANNA POUSETTE-DART

SETH KAUFMAN

CHINESE

LÉON AUGUSTIN LHERMITTE

FRANCISCO TOLEDO

MEL RAMOS

AI WEIWEI

Provenance:
<br>Heather James, CA
<br>Private collection, NV (acquired from above May, 2000)

CHINESE

NORMAN ROCKWELL

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