Maurice Braun (American/California, 1877-1941) , "Spring Landscape", oil on canvas, signed lower left, 14 in. x 24 in., framed. Note: Born in Hungary, Maurice Braun immigrated with his family to the United States in 1881 and settled in New York. In 1897, he began a five-year period of study at the National Academy of Design, followed by one year with William Merritt Chase. Braun was an established portrait and figure painter in New York before moving to San Diego in 1910. After opening a studio on Point Loma, he founded the San Diego Academy of Art in 1912 and served as its director for many years. Braun remained primarily in San Diego, except for the years 1922 to 1924 when he maintained a studio in Silvermine, Connecticut. His Impressionist paintings of the Southern California hills, Southwest desert and High Sierra brought him great national acclaim. An ardent follower of Theosophy, its teachings on the unity of nature and man is evident in his landscapes. The work offered here displays Braun's inherent sensitivity and tender response to both color and nature.