'Astley D. M. Cooper and Mrs. Stanford's Jewels,' at the Cantor Arts Center

A rare look at a  the work of an early 20th century California artist. Nationally recognized during his time but largely forgotten in our own, painter Astley D. M. Cooper (1856–1924) used a faux Egyptian temple as a studio, paid off bar debts with paintings, and threw the wildest parties that San Jose, California had ever seen. With their luscious colors and trompe l’oeil trickery, his landscapes, portraits, and wild western scenes aimed to both please and astonish. To this day, he has a following among those who collect early California art.

http://www.examiner.com/article/astley-d-m-cooper-and-mrs-stanford-s-jewels-at-the-cantor-arts-center?CID=examiner_alerts_article