$16,590
William Robinson Leigh (American, 1866-1955) Summer Hogan Signed and dated "(c) W. R. Leigh 1950" l.l., title inscribed on the reverse, inscribed "PROPERTY OF W. R. LEIGH" on the reverse. Watercolor and gouache on paper mounted onto canvas, 19 1/2 x 23 1/2 in. (49.5 x 59.7 cm), framed. Condition: Not examined out of frame. Provenance: A private New England collection. N.B. William Robinson Leigh was born in Berkley County, West Virginia. It was in the idyllic surroundings of his family property, "Maidstone," where Leigh first discovered his love of nature. At the age of fourteen he moved to Maryland to attend the Maryland Institute of Art. After two years there, he chose to continue his studies at the Royal Academy in Munich, and was trained in the Munich tradition, which included a tendency towards unpretentious genre subjects, discipline of line, vigorous brushwork, and dexterous use of color. (1) After studying in Europe, Leigh returned to America, settled in New York, and soon began to work as an illustrator. He illustrated a series of articles entitled ³Railroad² for McClures, and it is most likely there that he learned that the Santa Fe Railroad, through its advertising division, sponsored art excursions to the Grand Canyon and surrounding areas. (2) He arrived in New Mexico in 1906, and as he stepped off the train he recalled ³At last I was in the land where I was to prove whether I was fit--worthy of the opportunity--able to do it justice..." (3) Leigh wa
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2009-03-06
