California’s diverse landscape has played a pivotal role in the Golden State’s artistic history and development. From the crisp white light of the Pacific coast and warm tones of the deserts to the staggering scale of the Sierras and rolling hills dotted with oaks and wildflowers, California’s geographic regions are a favorite subject (and setting) for artists working in a wide variety of styles and media.

_{Right: Thomas Hill (American, born England, 1829–1908), Great Canyon of the Sierra, Yosemite, 1871, Oil on canvas. Crocker Art Museum, E. B. Crocker Collection, 1872.423}