'Historic Downtown,' by Palgrave Holmes Coates, Watercolor on Paper Painting

This 25" x 30.5" framed and matted watercolor painting on paper of 'Historic Downtown' by artist Palgrave Holmes Coates (also known as Paul H Coates) depicts a sunny scene in an historic town. The painting is focused in a two-story classical revival building with columns on the bottom floor and a balcony on the second. On the right side of the painting a partially obscured sign reads 'international' and in the far distance, the peaks of a mountain formation are visible, possibly the Potato Mountains of Claremont, California.

Palgrave Holmes Coates, was born in Victoria, B.C. in 1911. He moved to Los Angeles in 1923 and became interested in art while at Redondo Beach High School. After studying on a scholarship at Chouinard Art School (1936-38), he served as assistant to Diego Rivera in painting frescoes on Treasure Island for the GGIE. His studies at UCLA were interrupted by WWII. After the war he obtained teaching credentials from UC Berkeley, and in 1948 moved to Nevada where he taught art at Las Vegas High School. In 1956 he returned to California, earned a master of fine arts degree from Claremont Graduate School, and remained a resident of Claremont until his death on Nov. 17, 1972.