Signed Landscape of Oakland’s Historic Lake Merritt, by S K Farnsworth

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On offer is "Spring Morning, Lake Merritt," a masterfully executed, site-specific landscape by Bay Area artist S.K. Farnsworth, completed on … Read more On offer is "Spring Morning, Lake Merritt," a masterfully executed, site-specific landscape by Bay Area artist S.K. Farnsworth, completed on March 23, 2008. The location is a large tidal lagoon located in the center of Oakland, California.

LOCATION: The artwork is composed from the exact vantage point of the historic Lake Merritt Pergola and Colonnade, located at the northeastern edge of the lake near the intersection of Grand Avenue and El Embarcadero. Built in 1913, this classical structure with its distinctive columns and overhead wooden trellis frames the view perfectly. The lake is historically significant as the United States' first official wildlife refuge, designated in 1870.
In the foreground, thick, twisting wisteria vines scale the sturdy white columns. Farnsworth beautifully balances the architectural weight of the pergola against the organic, creeping movement of the flora.
The focus opens up to the lake's iconic water feature, the Cleveland Cascade fountain, shooting water high into the air. Across the shimmering blue water, Farnsworth includes several notable Oakland landmarks. On the left sits the prominent green dome of the First Church of Christ, Scientist (a historic 1905 building overlooking the lake). To its right, the mid-century and modern apartment towers lining the Adams Point neighborhood punctuate the horizon.

STYLE: The Lake Merritt work offered here, when considered with the artist’s "Signed Bay Area Landscape of the Japanese Tea Garden, by S K Farnsworth" piece, as well as the 2014 fractionally larger paintings done of Ghirardelli Square viewed from the water, and a sunset in Marin County, each being sold separately, underscore Farnsworth’s deliberate approach as an artist documenting public landmarks around the San Francisco Bay.

TECHNIQUE: Farnsworth applies a distinct, structured illustrative style to the scene. The sharp, descriptive black outlines capture individual architectural slats, ripples in the water, and branches, giving the piece a crisp, graphic clarity reminiscent of architectural rendering or vintage travel prints.
The color choices are bright and saturated, emphasizing the true California "spring morning,” as referenced in the title. The artist layers a rich turquoise-blue sky that reflects deeply back into the water, contrasting against the electric, freshly grown chartreuse greens of the lakeside lawn.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Bottom left corner (photo #5). Unframed dimensions: inches 9 inches high x 12 inches wide. See less