Afternoon in Auburn
Artist
John Bohnenberger
(1926 - 2012)
Datec.1960
MediumWatercolor on paper
Dimensions22 x 30 in. (55.9 x 76.2 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of the Hilbert Collection
Object number2018.054
DescriptionChicago-born John Bohnenberger moved to Southern California with his family when he was 14. After two years of high school, Bohnenberger enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1943 and served until 1946.From 1947 to 1972, he worked for the U. S. Postal Service in Monterey Park, California. In his spare time, he painted watercolors of harbors and boats, as well as views of various neighborhoods in the San Gabriel Valley. Although he briefly studied under watercolorist Jan Kunz, Bohnenberger was primarily a self-taught artist. He was a well-liked and highly respected member of the California Art Club.
Here he depicts a street in the historic Gold Rush town of Auburn, Calif., near Sacramento. Auburn is the county seat of Placer County (which is named for the "placer mining" -- basically, panning for gold -- that took place in the area). In Bohnenberger's colorful and bustling view, your eye is led down the receding street and then up to the neoclassical dome of the Placer County Courthouse. The one-way street sign to the left, as well as the converging telephone and electric wires, also do their part in drawing your eye up to that dome. Lots of people are out and about on the sidewalks, as well as a black cat and a brown dog, efficiently rendered with just a few brush strokes.
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