Jack Wisby: Historical Landscape Paintings of Marin County

In the early twentieth century, Jack Wisby (1869-1940) painted evocative scenes celebrating the beauty and diversity of Marin County’s landscape. An immigrant from England, he arrived in San Francisco in 1892, and later he and his artist wife lived in many parts of Marin, including Bolinas where, in 1915, they built a home with panoramic views that were often subjects of his paintings.

A prolific and accomplished artist, Wisby painted works that are both a pleasure to the eye and a fascinating window into the region’s past. Drawn from private collections, historical societies, and museums, the paintings in this exhibition present views we still savor today: a sweeping vista from Mill Valley to San Francisco Bay; Mount Tamalpais seen from Belvedere; rolling hills and ranchland from Novato to Point Reyes Station; Tomales Bay viewed from Inverness; Brighton Beach at Bolinas; and Stinson Beach’s curving coastline.

This exhibition is co-curated by Alfred Harrison, owner of North Point Gallery and one of the Bay Area’s foremost experts on early Bay Area California paintings. A new book by Harrison accompanies the exhibition. It clarifies historic facts and illuminates insights into Wisby’s life, inspirations, and passion for landscape painting.