Desert Landscape, Oil on Canvas by Alice Cardelli Swett
Viridian Eclection
The Painting
An oil on canvas of the Nevada desert by Alice Cardelli Swett, with soft sagebrush, scattered scrub and a hazy wash of distant hills.
The palette is muted earth tone, greens, browns and lavender, which is characteristic of Swett's sensitive readings of the Great Basin landscape.
It is signed Cardelli Swett at the lower right.
The painting is housed in an ornate mid twentieth century Rococo Revival frame with molded floral and shell motifs, whitewashed with subtle distressing that lifts the period desert scene. The frame adds to the decorative presence of the work and echoes the romantic atmosphere of Swett's Nevada subject matter.
History & Provenance
Alice Cardelli Swett, a Nevada painter of the twentieth century, often signed simply Cardelli Swett. She was based in Dayton, a historic mining town in the Carson River Valley.
She is a listed artist. Her works appear in Nevada art reference books, among them Painters of Nevada, 1845 to 1980, and in regional auction catalogs. She was known especially for her portrayals of wild mustangs, stagecoaches, buffalo and the desert expanses of the Great Basin.
Her work circulated widely in Nevada during the middle of the twentieth century, hanging in homes, businesses and public spaces throughout the mining towns of the state.
Her paintings were recognized and collected by Nevada institutions. In 2009 the Douglas County Historical Society exhibited her painting The Wild Bunch, also referred to as The Mustangs, appraised at 1,500 dollars, which was later raffled to raise funds for the museum. That connection underscores her standing as a regional painter whose work held cultural significance within the historical preservation community of Nevada.
Product Details
| Artist | Alice Cardelli Swett, Nevada, twentieth century, based in Dayton |
| Subject | Desert landscape of the Great Basin, sagebrush, scrub and distant hills |
| Era | Twentieth century |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Marks | Signed Cardelli Swett at lower right |
| Frame | Ornate mid twentieth century Rococo Revival frame, molded floral and shell motifs, whitewashed with subtle distressing |
| Dimensions | To be confirmed |
| Condition | To be confirmed |
Why It Belongs in Your Home
This is a Nevada painting by a Nevada painter, of the country a few miles outside the door. Work of that kind reads differently on a wall in the Great Basin than any imported landscape can.
The muted greens, browns and lavender are quiet enough to hang anywhere, and the whitewashed Rococo Revival frame gives the picture presence without competing with it.
For a collector of Nevada art, Swett is a listed name with a documented regional following, and for a designer the canvas is a soft horizontal note over a console, a bed or a mantel.
Every piece is packed with professional-grade materials: multiple foam layers, double-boxing, directional and fragile handling labels. For large furniture we use custom timber crating. We photograph packing before dispatch and can provide images on request.
White-glove delivery is complimentary within 100 miles of Reno, NV. National shipping quotes provided at checkout. All shipments are photographed and documented. Damage claims must be filed with the carrier; we provide all documentation needed to support your claim.
Local pickup is available at Viridian HQ (Reno, NV) with 2–4 days notice. Contact us to arrange. Private viewings also available.
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Antiques are irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind. Carrier handling is outside our control once a piece has left our facility, and major carriers including FedEx do not insure antiques. We do everything within our power to ensure safe transit, but cannot accept liability for carrier damage. If damage occurs in transit, we will provide full documentation to support your carrier claim.
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