Oil on canvas depicting a hunter and pointing dog traversing the dry California foothills, the dog working the rocky foreground while the hunter follows with gun in hand. Signed and dated “73 Cal,” identifying the work as a California subject painted in 1873. The tawny grasses and parched terrain evoke the summer-to-fall conditions characteristic of the Northern California landscape.

Painted only four years after completion of the transcontinental railroad and twenty-four years after the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill, the work presents a compelling glimpse of the California countryside at a time when large areas remained comparatively undeveloped and wildlife was abundant. The hunter and dog are subordinate to the expansive landscape, giving the scene particular resonance as an early depiction of California sporting life.

Williams was an important figure in the development of nineteenth-century California art. The following year, in 1874, he became the first director of the newly established California School of Design in San Francisco, where his teaching influenced succeeding generations of painters, including William Keith and Thomas Hill. California landscapes form a relatively limited portion of Williams’s known work, adding interest to this dated early example.

Dimensions: 11 x 15 in.; framed 20.5 x 24 in.

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Appears to retain its original canvas. Small area of inpainting visible under ultraviolet light to the rocks immediately above the dog’s nose. Small paint loss at upper right corner. Estate condition.