Grandpa’s Impressionist Paintings on Auction

by Bruno

My uncle stumbled upon some of my grandpa’s impressionist paintings on E-bay. His original name was Hans Mertins but he used to sign his paintings under his artistic name: Juan Mertins. He was a known artist in the San Francisco area during the 1920’s, he used to paint backgrounds for films back in Hollywood’s golden age.

The piece has all the characteristics of his early paintings and his name on the back. This specific painting was exhibited at the Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE) 1939, which was held on San Francisco’s Treasure Island in order to celebrate the opening of the city’s two new bridges. The Fair ran from February 18 through October 29 in 1939, and from May 25 through September 29 in 1940.

1 comment

1 Ralph { 06.29.08 at 3:01 pm }: I have a watercolor signed “Guatemala-Juan Mertin”. I spoke to his sister in-law at her estate sale where I purchased the painting in 1988. She did tell me that he worked at the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939 and was forced to return to Argentina when WWII started since they had sided with Germany and he was an Argentine citizen. His wife never saw him again. It’s a beautiful painting of a landscape in Guatemala. Regards

Grandpa’s Impressionist Paintings on Auction

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