Bright and vibrant abstracted landscape depicting the Wyoming mountains on a summer day by Erle Loran (American, 1905-1999). From a collection of his works. Estate stamp on verso. Unframed. Measures 52"H x 72"W x 2"D. Erle Loran was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He studied at the Minneapolis School of Art under the direction of Cameron Booth. His talent was recognized early when in 1926 he won the Paris Prize, which provided him the benefit of a traveling scholarship to Europe where he lived in the studio of Paul Cézanne. In 1936 Loran moved to California to take up a position teaching at the University of California at Berkeley where he eventually became Chairman of the Art Department. He invited the painter Hans Hofmann to be a visiting professor. Hofmann influenced Loran to become more abstract in his work. In 1943 Loran published his book Cézanne's Composition, examining the artist's work theoretically from the approach of forms and spatial factors. It was an immediate success with artists, teachers, and critics and is still available in print.