Vintage Impressionist Landscape Victorian Garden Watercolor Painting Richard Gabriel Chase

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This is a truly remarkable Original Sketch for a Mural by celebrated Listed San Diego California artist, Richard Gabriel Chase … Read more This is a truly remarkable Original Sketch for a Mural by celebrated Listed San Diego California artist, Richard Gabriel Chase (1919-2007). Famous for his portraiture and murals throughout San Diego, Chase's work is diverse and rare. His most famous works hang in the Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park or at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, where he did a $500,000 commission upon the opening of the hotel.

This beautiful piece a beautiful country house in the background with figures, dogs/hounds, and carriages in the foreground. The original gridlines for the mural are visible. It has fantastic detail style -- a great example of Chase's range and talent. This piece is not dated, but was most likely done around 1960. It was included in a portfolio of his mural sketches and the condition is as we found it.

We have had it custom framed with acid-free archival luxe velvet matting and custom molding under acrylic. It is SIGNED UNDER THE MAT - we could not show it without messing up the overall aesthetic of the piece. Certificate of Authenticity, including provenance. This is a rare and wonderful work for the San Diego art collector.

Certification: Gallery Certificate of Authenticity Included.

Condition: Painting is in very good condition. Mural grid lines visible. Some paint drips from artist's studio. Brand new archival framing with acrylic.

Measurements: Approx 29"x17" framed.

About the Artist: Richard Gabriel Chase (1919-2007) Richard Chase painted for over seventy years, mostly in San Diego County. As one might expect his style was diverse and subjects unlimited. His early precise historical painting ability actually launched Mr. Chase into commercial and organizational fame for his skill. Through this art California’s history was brought to life on books and publications such as San Diego Historical Society’s Journals in the 1970’s.



Places and people, nature or battlefields, flowers or animals; no subject was without Mr. Chase’s interest and efforts. His portraiture work ranged from children to prominent citizens; from migrant workers to the famous American aviators, a collection which hangs today in San Diego’s Air and Space Museum.

Richard Chase excelled in another profound area of painting - the mural.

This exacting strenuous pursuit is not seen among many artists, yet Mr. Chase adorned the walls and ceilings of the region with his work in restaurants, hotels, offices and even branch buildings of banking chains. One example from the mural series was that which portrayed the battle of San Pasqual, displayed in the Escondido branch in California, now viewable at the main library of Escondido on Kalmia Street. This mural dramatically illustrated the second phase of the battle, which took place the morning of December 6, 1846 just east of the I-15 crossover of Lake Hodges.

The Mexican War of 1846 had many battles but this rainy morning was among the bloodiest. Another mural depicts Rancho San Dieguito with Mexican rancheros and Indian workers during the 1830’s, as they irrigated and harvested beans, corn, peppers and other field crops on bottomland along the San Dieguito River. This area is just south of present day Rancho Santa Fe. Today the mural can actually be seen at The San Dieguito Heritage Museum on Quail Gardens Drive in Encinitas, California.

Mr. Chase also decorated many hospitals and churches as well as the James S. Copley Library in La Jolla, California. Copley was a major patron and contractor of Mr. Chase’s work in the sixties and the seventies. The publishing magnate had him illustrating many books on California history. Mr. Chase rendered a painting of the first San Diego Union Tribune office building, a modest structure indeed for Mr. Copley’s soon to be huge publishing enterprise.

History and nature were typically depicted however people and celebrities were portrayed in magnificent detail and grand scope. The most notable project can still be seen in the lobby and interiors of San Diego’s Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Contracted work for the Hyatt’s 1992 opening was grand indeed especially for an artist in his early 70’s. The Hyatt paid Mr. Chase almost a half a million dollars, eighty five cents a square inch for paintings in the Harbor Tower. In August 2003 the San Diego Grand Hyatt unveiled its massive expansion at that location in San Diego Harbor. The 33 story Seaport Tower and 1625 rooms greet guests with Chase’s huge magnificent paintings in the lobby. Mr. Chase was now working again- but in his 80’s. 



Mr. Chase did a rare exhibition of his paintings in 1985 at the United States International University, now Alliant University in Scripps Ranch, San Diego. In 1971 James S. Copley, who had bought the resort La Casa del Zorro in 1960 in Borrego Springs, California called on Richard for his refurbishment project. Originally an adobe house in 1937, it was turned into a resort. First known as the Desert Lodge it became a desert retreat for many of California’s and Europe’s prominent businessmen and entrepreneurial class.

The area had been visited some centuries earlier by the Spanish missionaries. Guests who enjoyed the art of Marjorie Reed and the native American murals of John Duarte could also see and chuckle at the comic new paintings in the bar created by Mr. Chase; another delightful “genre” of his art. Today it is the Borrego Ranch Resort and Spa and one can still enjoy the original paintings. 



This 20th century painter appears to have first gained his public notoriety depicting 19th century California scenes, which included the “Rancho” culture and geography of the 1830’s. His explorer and adventurer depictions and views of buildings and people gives us our clear visualizations of history. Source: David Ross See less