A lovely tonalist oil on canvas painting by the well regarded Chicago area artist and muralist Otto Hake. An Orientalist beauty in traditional Mandarin attire frolics with butterflies in a California Redwood forest as a rider approaches in the left side of this evocative scene. The painting is signed in the lower right corner and is still housed in its original wide profile antique gesso gold frame.
Hake immigrated from Ulm, Germany at the age of 14 and settled in Chicago, Hake, throughout his career, was closely associated with the Palette and Chisel Club, an organization of artists supporting themselves with commercial work while pursuing fine-art aspirations. He held a membership in the cities Palette and Chisel club from 1905 to 1957; he died in 1965. The artist exhibited frequently in the 1920s, and his mural work adorns several of Chicago’s surviving preserved historic buildings. Hake was also involved and active with the WPA project during the 30s.