The Perils of Dissipation in a Drawing by Granville Redmond (1871-1935)

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On offer is a work which was part of a book of tonalist drawings by Granville Redmond (1871-1935). This rare … Read more On offer is a work which was part of a book of tonalist drawings by Granville Redmond (1871-1935). This rare pencil and charcoal drawing with white gouache accents is haunting for its allegorical depiction of violent deaths, alcoholic dissipation, and the company of a dominating, cobra-like monster. What’s especially chilling is that just below the artist’s signature, it’s dated on the artist’s own birthday—late in his fifth decade. As such, it is quite a departure from the colorful California Impressionist landscapes filled with poppies and lupines for which the artist is most famous. Which is precisely what makes this and the other four sketches by this artist, each offered separately, so interesting.
Born in Philadelphia, Redmond contracted scarlet fever and became deaf in early childhood. His family moved west to San Jose, California so that he could attend the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley. Showing early talent in art, Redmond won a scholarship to the Académie Julien in Paris. Upon his return to the United States, the artist lived for a period in Los Angeles, then in the Monterey area, returning to Los Angeles in 1917, working as a pantomimist.
Silent film titan Charlie Chaplin met the painter in Los Angeles and reached out to him for help as a deaf person to learn sign language and especially to develop expressive pantomime techniques for his silent film performances. The filmmaker also collected Redmond’s paintings and eventually gave the artist a painting studio on his movie lot, likely a first for someone who wasn’t there to create film backdrops.
Redmond’s work can be seen in numerous museum collections, especially in California. These include Sacramento’s Crocker Art Museum, the Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach, and the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art, today holding the pre-eminent collection of California Impressionism.
Lastly, a fun fact about Granville Redmond: he made uncredited appearances in several of Chaplin’s films, including his renowned “City Lights.”
Signature and date: Lower left (photo #5). See less