| Medium: | oil on canvas |
| Size: | 12 x 16 inches (30 x 41 cm) |
| Inscription: | unsigned |
| Verso: | l/c "The Yosemite Valley California." in the artist's characteristic block-letter hand. "Painted by F. Schafer" in pencil on the frame, in an unfamiliar hand. |
| Provenance: | In an unidentified Santa Barbara, California estate; offered 15 October 2003 via eBay by "rodrigo6", Santa Barbara, California. |
| Attribution: | Since the sketch is unsigned, attribution is problematic, but the verso title inscription does appear to be in Schafer's characteristic block-letter hand. The larger (and also unsigned) Yosemite Valley, California [7] (attributed) has many close similarities, including the shape of El Capitan, the rounded appearance of Cathedral Rocks above the waterfall, and the positions and shapes of the trees; that painting appears to have been based on this oil sketch. According to William K. Dick, John Garzoli has suggested attributing Yosemite Valley, California [7] (attributed) to Schafer. The composition, palette, and brushwork of both the painting and the sketch are quite similar to those in other works by Schafer. However, of the many Schafer Yosemite paintings, these are the only two that share this particular profile of El Capitan and the rounded peaks on the Cathedral Rocks. |
| Site: | A view looking East up Yosemite Valley across Bridalveil Meadow and the Merced River, with Bridalveil fall on the right, El Capitan on the left, and Half Dome in the distance on the horizon. |
| Identification: | Title from verso inscription. |
| In index(es): | Title list, Yosemite Valley--classic view, sketches |
![[photo]](../smalls/p/img0879.jpg)