Twin Lakes, High Sierra 

Rose O’Neill painted this oil on canvas landscape, titled "Twin Lakes, High Sierra," during her time in California. Although O’Neill is best known for her commercial illustrations and the Kewpie characters, this painting gives us an insight into her fine art practice and the broader cultural context of landscape painting in early 20th century America. The Sierra Nevada mountains had, by this time, become a potent symbol of the American West, with its sublime and dramatic landscapes standing in for ideas about national identity and the frontier spirit. Paintings of the Sierra were especially popular with the Arts and Crafts movement, where O’Neill found herself. But unlike many of her predecessors, O’Neill’s painting does not feature any human presence, suggesting a more spiritual encounter with nature and harkening to the transcendentalist project. Looking at photographs and tourist literature from the time might shed light on the popularity of this specific location. O'Neill's work reflects the complex interplay between art, tourism, and the construction of national identity in the American West.