Claude Howell (NC, 1915-1997), A City Scene

Watercolor on paper laid down, 1946, signed and dated at lower left, matted and framed under glass.

Sight size 17 1/2 x 14 1/4 in.; Frame dimensions 23 3/4 x 20 3/4 in.

Private Collection, North Carolina

Leland Little, Hillsborough, North Carolina, The Winter Auction, December 2, 2016, Lot 229

Among the most famous and highly collected artists from North Carolina, Claude Howell is often referred to as "The Dean of North Carolina Painters." Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, he received his early artistic training from an eccentric British transplant, Elisabeth Chant. He sought further training during his travels throughout the Northeastern United States and Paris, but North Carolina always drew him home to paint what he knew and loved best: life along the North Carolina coast.

Howell participated in one-man and group shows at such prestigious venues as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, High Museum of Art, and Metropolitan Museum of Art. His paintings, drawings, and prints are held in major North Carolina collections and nationally recognized institutions, including the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Mint Museum, Cameron Art Museum, and The Johnson Collection. His distinctive style captured the light, landscape, and daily rhythms of coastal life, establishing him as one of the most important chroniclers of the region's visual character.

Fixed to foam core with unknown adhesive, toning to the sheet.