Signed Mid-Century Post-Impressionist Watercolor, by Miki McCrossen Hayakawa (1899–1953)

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On offer is an exceptional piece of early-to-mid 20th-century American Modernism by Miki McCrossen Hayakawa (1899–1953). The composition perfectly reflects … Read more On offer is an exceptional piece of early-to-mid 20th-century American Modernism by Miki McCrossen Hayakawa (1899–1953). The composition perfectly reflects the avant-garde themes circulating on the West Coast and Santa Fe during the interwar and post-war eras.
Hayakawa was heavily influenced by French Post-Impressionism, particularly Paul Cézanne, as well as Cubist principles and modern color theory. This painting depicts classical modernist bathers in a landscape, a direct nod to Cézanne's famous The Bathers (Les Baigneuses) series. It captures a monumental nude figure in the foreground with arms raised, while a smaller group of bathers rests in the background amidst stylized trees. (Please note that the white reflection at the bottom of the glass' surface does not represent the artwork's condition.)

STYLE: The heavy outline work combined with loose, expressive watercolor washes indicates strong Cubist and Fauvist influences. The anatomical distortion, rhythmic linework and geometricized nature elements (like the tree branches and clouds) are hallmarks of early 20th-century avant-garde illustration.

ARTIST: Born in Hokkaido, Japan in 1899, Miki McCrossen Hayakawa emigrated with her mother to California to join her father in 1908. Defying the wishes and traditions of her father, a pastor, she left home as a teen-ager to become an artist. Earning scholarships, she received her formal art training at the California School of Fine Arts, where she won honorable mentions, and the California College of Arts and Crafts in Berkeley. She became a trailblazing female figure in California Modernism during the 1920s and 30s.
In 1942, she moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she met and married Preston McCrossan, a New Mexico weaver and dealer in American Indian art in 1947. Her signature on this work actually reads "McCrossen" (specifically with a lowercase "h"-like stroke on the 'n'), which represents Miki McCrossen Hayakawa. Works associated with her estate or signed later in life often bear or reference the McCrossen name.
Today, she is a highly collected, historically significant Asian-American modernist. Her paintings are held in permanent museum collections, including the New Mexico Museum of Art.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Bottom right (photo #7). Unframed dimensions: 13.75 inches high x 9.75 inches wide. See less