Shirley Russell American, 1886 - 1985
Royal Hawaiian Hotel, 1929
Oil on art board
16 x 12 "
Signed & dated lower left
Private collection
Shirley Russell created a feeling of exotic grandeur in this unusual view of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. By not depicting the front entrance of Waikiki Beach facade of this Honolulu...
Shirley Russell created a feeling of exotic grandeur in this unusual view of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. By not depicting the front entrance of Waikiki Beach facade of this Honolulu landmark, which celebrated its second anniversary in 1929, Russell helped set a new precedent for its documentation. This side view, lost today to surrounding development, shows the pink stucco Spanish colonial structure set in its well-known gardens. The small sketch exemplifies Russell's lively paint handling, colorful palette, and sensibility to Hawaii's bright atmosphere.