News

MONTEREY, CA (APRIL 17, 2026)—Monterey Museum of Art is pleased to announce the acquisition of The Bathers (a.k.a. Nudes in the Landscape) by Arthur F. Mathews (1860–1945), a pivotal figure in California art history. Trained as an architect before establishing himself as a painter, muralist, and art educator in San Francisco, Mathews became deeply influential in both the Arts and Crafts movement and as a professor and Director of the California School of Design (later the San Francisco Art Institute). He worked primarily in a Tonalist style, and his ideals influenced generations of California artists including Granville Redmond, Xavier Martinez, and Armin Hansen.  

Together with his wife, Lucia Kleinhans Mathews (1870–1955), whom he met at the California School of Design around 1890, the Mathews helped define a unique California aesthetic. In the aftermath of the great San Francisco 1906 earthquake, together they established the Furniture Shop, where custom interiors and furnishings with exquisite craftsmanship became hallmarks of the California Decorative Style. They also launched the magazine Philopolis to champion the rebuilding of San Francisco with a distinct California aesthetic. As part of the Summer Exhibition Series, The Art of Place, Mathews' painting reflects a meaningful contribution to California art and to the Monterey Peninsula.

"Acquiring The Bathers is a profound moment for the Museum, and for the story MMA is entrusted to tell. Arthur Mathews did not simply paint California; he helped imagine it. His work shaped visual culture and the spaces where people lived and gathered. This piece shows MMA's commitment to illuminating artists and visionaries whose sense of place became the foundation for a creative legacy with roots that still resonate today. Monterey Museum of Art is honored to showcase this important work." — Corey Madden

New Acquisition: Arthur Mathews' The Bathers 

Dates May 1, 2026 – August 23, 2026

Credits: Arthur Mathews (1860–1945), The Bathers (a.k.a. Nudes in Landscape), c. 1896, oil on canvas, 25 x 23 in. Collection Monterey Museum of Art; Museum Purchase with Acquisition Funds; additional funds provided by Lila and James Thorsen, Kevin Cartwright and Stephen Eimer, Forbes Keaton, Kathleen and Robert Seibel, Roseanne Pierre, Jacqueline and Tully Wiedman, and Alicia A. Swithenbank.

Support for the Art of Place Summer Exhibition Season provided by Kevin Cartwright and Stephen Eimer, Susan DuCoeur, Lynn and Michael Hayford, Louise O'Connor, and Paula and Terry Trotter.

Land and People Acknowledgement  

Monterey Museum of Art (MMA) extends its respect to the Esselen and Rumsen/Rumsien Ohlone Tribes, on whose ancestral homeland the Museum stands. MMA also recognizes the Chalon, Mutsun, and Salinan Tribes, whose unceded lands encompass much of what is now Monterey County. In alignment with our mission to celebrate the diversity of California art—past, present, and future, MMA acknowledges and honors these communities, who have cared for and cultivated the Monterey Peninsula for millennia.

The Museum recognizes that our collection and exhibitions are inherently tied to the Indigenous land on which they were created, as California's landscape has long served as inspiration for generations of artists and creatives. MMA honors the Chalon, Esselen, Mutsun, Rumsen/Rumsien Ohlone, and Salinan Tribes—alongside all California tribes, past, present, and future—for their enduring connection and lasting impact on our shared lands and waters.

To learn more about the Indigenous lands we inhabit, visit https://native-land.ca/.