RALPH HELM JOHONNOT (1879-1940)
His paintings were what he would generally have called “interpretive landscapes.” He was a very talented sketch artist from an early age and had a wonderful foundation for his work while attending Pratt and working alongside Arthur Wesley Dow. During his travels in Europe (1903 & 1910 era,) he was exposed to new color palettes that would influence his work for the rest of his life. The combination of stylization & color become his trademark and the basis for his teachings during his workshops. His intention for his work was mainly as a decorative element for the home, to bring harmony & color to the space it occupied.
Ralph Johonnot’s work was very much in demand during his lifetime and he made a good living from his art. As an example, BRYCE CANYON as pictured here retains its original price tag of $875, this would have been the equivalent of a $10,000 painting in 1920.
Many of his pieces are painted with a very thin layer of oil paint, only a handful have turned up that have a much thicker impasto. He also painted many of his own simple frames to add to the decorative quality of the work. Very few pieces have a full signature, most are signed with his initials of RHJ along with his little bird symbol. It is important to look closely at his work as many signatures are hidden within the image itself.
There is a series of scenes painted in what appears to be Italy & France, the assumption would be these were painted around 1910 on their honeymoon trip. There is one painting of a home, followed by a black & white photo of Douglas Donaldson & his wife. This photo was taken by Edward Weston and you can see the Johonnot painting of the Donaldson home hung on the wall.
