Caroline Van Hook Bean (American, 1879-1980)

Lot description

Caroline Van Hook Bean (American, 1879-1980) , "Saint Augustine Street Scene", mixed media on paper, signed lower left, 15 in. x 19 3/4 in., framed. Note: Caroline Van Hook Bean studied under many illustrious artists including William Merritt Chase, John Singer Sargent and her father-in-law, Bernardus Blommers. The influence of these great Impressionists can be clearly seen in her work. A long-time resident of Washington, D.C., Bean was drawn in her travels to locales where she was able to pursue her dual passions for historic architecture and painting. Saint Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565, provided a perfect setting, particularly for her penchant towards street scenes. In the work offered here, Bean depicts two nuns in traditional habits walking past the eclectic buildings of Saint Augustine with the beach in the background. She includes a nod to the Spanish architecture and heavy Catholic influence in the city while capturing the bright blue skies and lush tropical vegetation of the Florida coast.