Eric Gibberd (English, 1897-1972). "Yellow Sky" oil on board, n.d. Signed on verso. A brilliant oil painting by English artist Eric Gibberd portraying the tapering peak of a blue mountain against an ombre yellow sky. Generously applied oils depict the rocky crags of the summit, which starkly contrasts with the glowing sky; suggesting this scene shows the first moments of twilight when the sun has just descended behind the mountain, lighting the heavens and leaving the peak darkened by its own shadow. This piece perhaps depicts one of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Taos, New Mexico, where Eric Gibberd moved with his wife in the 1950s. Note Gibberd's Post-Impressionistic use of exploratory brushstrokes and unnatural planes of color, as well as his emphasis on geometric forms: characteristics likely formed during his intensive study of the work of Paul Cezanne. A gorgeous piece and a special treat for any Deadhead; "the sky was yellow and the sun was blue!" Size: 5.6" L x 3.3" W (14.2 cm x 8.4 cm); Size of frame: 8.6" L x 6.3" W (21.8 cm x 16 cm)

Born in London in 1897, Eric Gibberd was plagued with vision problems from a young age causing his vision to begin failing at age 10. At the recommendation of a doctor, his parents moved from London to western Canada with hopes his vision would benefit from an open landscape. Education for young Eric was conducted orally as he was not supposed to strain his eyes reading. For seven years he did not use books or do any activities requiring him to use his eyes for small detail. His father died when he was 17 and Gibberd started work to support his mother and four younger sisters. He pursued a successful career in retail advertising and moved to the United States with his wife, Pauline Bridge Seeberger, who was a trained artist and, recognizing his visual talent, urged him to study art. He learned painting initially from teachers in Los Angeles and went on to study art in Austria and Spain. His most influential teacher was someone he never actually met – Paul Cezanne. Gibberd was very taken with Cezanne's analytical approach leading him to spend time in Aix en Provence and to have the opportunity to actually use Cezanne's studio. Cezanne's influence can be seen in Gibberd's paintings. After moving to Taos, New Mexico in the 1950s, Gibberd was also influenced by Emil Bisttram, a European Modernist immigrant who started the Taos Art School.

Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010

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#173754

Signature and title on verso. Set in wood frame with a few minor nicks, but overall condition of the painting is excellent.