Laguna Coast

William Wendt
Laguna Coast
Oil on canvas, 1930
30 x 36 inches
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Stiles, II
2015.013

The idyllic village of Laguna Beach began attracting artists at the end of the nineteenth century. Wendt first visited the area with artist Gardner Symons and purchased two lots from Symons in Arch Beach in 1905. Wendt and his wife, sculptor Julia Bracken, moved from Chicago to Los Angeles shortly after their marriage in the summer of 1906. In 1918, they built a second home and studio in Laguna Beach on the lots Wendt had purchased from Symons. As charter members of the Laguna Beach Art Association, Wendt and his wife were regular exhibitors throughout their careers. Although he never held an officer position he occasionally acted as a juror for association exhibitions. Although Wendt primarily became known for his verdant landscapes, his affection for the community is revealed in his many “portraits” of the village, which give us a wonderful and colorful historical record of that time and place. This is a view looking toward the coast from a spot just above his home. The dirt road depicted is Glenneyre Street.