William A. Karges Fine Art
Showrooms
For over 35 years, William A. Karges Fine Art has been the preeminent art dealer specializing in original early California and American paintings created between 1870 and 1940, as well as American Southwest and early Philippine paintings. Our gallery in Carmel, CA carries one of the most varied, high-quality, historically significant inventories of paintings available on the West Coast. Karges Fine Art is also the representative of contemporary artists Dennis Doheny, Cindy Baron, and Susan N. Jarvis.
Staff
Patrick Kraft was born in Los Angeles in 1957. For 26 years Patrick’s father, William Kraft, was head percussionist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra as well as composer-in-residence and for two years, Assistant Conductor. Patrick received a D.E.U.G. I degree from the Universite de Poitiers, France in l978 and his B.A. degree in European History and French from UCSB in l979, followed by an MBA from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 1981. In 1987 Patrick was hired by William Karges to open William A. Karges Fine Art in Carmel and has been the Director of the Carmel gallery to this day.
I served as Director of William A. Karges Fine Art's Los Angeles Gallery (now closed) from 1988 to 2019 and now work with the gallery as a Consultant. William A. Karges Fine Art is considered by many to be the leading gallery in the nation that specifically specializes in paintings done by late 19th & early 20th century California artists. During this period, I bought and sold literally thousands of paintings. I am considered one of the leading experts in this field, especially in regards to current market conditions, and have appraised paintings for both private collectors and major museums. I am frequently contacted by the leading auction houses for my opinion on current market conditions and authenticity.
I have served as the President and Vice-President of the Historical Collections Committee of the Laguna Art Museum and as the Program Chairman and Treasurer of the American Art Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
I have also participated in a number panel discussions, symposiums, and lectures as an expert in early California art and have produced five major monographs on certain early California artists. In addition, I have consulted on virtually every museum exhibition that features the artists from the above period over the last twenty years. I am also acknowledged in virtually every museum publication that highlights early California artists during this same time span.