Signed lower left: Berla L. Emeree

Private collection, Bonita Springs, Florida.

Berla Iyone Emeree (American, 1899-1948) Juarez Mountains and Desert Oil on Masonite 16 x 24 inches (40.6 x 61.0 cm) Signed lower left: Berla L. Emeree Signed, titled, and inscribed on the reverse: "Juarez Mts and Desert" / by / Berla L. Emeree / El Paso, Texas PROVENANCE: Private collection, Bonita Springs, Florida. Berla Lyone Emeree was born in Wichita, Kansas at the turn of the 20th Century and was a fierce and independent woman. After studying under Frank Benton, Ashley Linton, and Michael Jacobs in Philadelphia, Emeree returned to the South to study under José Arpa and Rolla Taylor. Emeree's husband died shortly after their marriage and she removed the Y from her middle name in memory of him - turning her middle name to Lone. In 1924, the artist opened the Emeree School of Art in El Paso, Texas - a bold move for a woman in that time period. Emeree was a successful artist, exhibiting at the Dallas Museum of Arts and the Museum of New Mexico as well as participating in the Texas Wildflower Competition. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

Small 1/4 inch loss in the extreme upper left corner. A few small pinpoint abrasions along the extreme edges, notable under close inspection. Framed Dimensions 21.5 X 29.5 Inches