Browse > Meyer Straus

Meyer Straus

Paintings in Inventory

Click on an image for a larger view.

Artist's Biography

Meyer Straus was born in Germany and came to America as a teen-ager, developing into an artist who painted the backdrops to theatrical productions.  He followed this occupation after his move to San Francisco in 1874 but soon devoted all his time to easel paintings.  Straus developed into a solid and respected landscape painter.  In April of 1876, the critic for the San Francisco Evening Post praised "Straus’ soft-toned landscapes" on view at the Morris and Schwab Gallery.  Our painting depicts a quiet creek in the California coast range, with a thin veneer of fog imposing soft harmonies on a palette of light greens and browns.  The ornate original frame dates this painting to the 1870s or early ‘80s and indicates that it was considered a significant example of the artist’s work.