Nicolai Fechin

Private collection, circa 1928
By descent to the present owner

The present work was completed during an extremely prolific period for the artist following his emigration to New York in 1923. When Fechin’s health was later compromised by tuberculosis, his doctor advised relocation to a dryer climate would better serve his condition. In January 1925 the artist’s dealer John Burnham invited Fechin and his wife to visit him at his home in Pasadena. Later that year, Fechin accepted the invitation, first arriving in Los Angeles and eventually traveling south to San Diego. In one letter dated 5 August 1925, Fechin confirmed that he had finished his time in Laguna and was now on his way to La Jolla. While the exact location depicted in the present work is unknown, it is believed to illustrate a surrounding location along the southern California coastline.