$19,975
George Curtis (American, ac. 1840-1885) The Moses Kimball In Boston Harbor Unsigned, label from Doll & Richards, Boston, on the reverse. Oil on canvas, 20 1/4 x 30 1/4 in. (51.5 x 77.0 cm), framed. Condition: Lined, retouch, prevalent craquelure. N.B. In his essay titled George Curtis and His Work: A Chronology , art historian Karl Gabosh notes that "(at) some time during the period of 1853-57, Curtis would paint a portrait of the merchant vessel Moses Kimball . This ship, owned by Curtis's employer, sailed under this name for only four years, so we can effectively date the painting to this period. In what is now recognized as the earliest painting that can be attributed to Curtis, we find a number of elements that closely link Curtis to other American marine artists of the day. The structural elements of the painting are particularly reminiscent of Fitz Hugh Lane, especially in Curtis's use of a fisherman in a rowboat as a compositional element in the foreground of the painting. There are similarities in the relationship of horizon line to sky as well, and the method in which the boating activity in Boston Harbor interacts with the Moses Kimball . A recently discovered view of Boston Harbor by Lane shows a striking similarity to the devices used by Curtis in The "Moses Kimball." The use of light, its relationship to the lighthouse, and the canted masts of the small boats racing past the lighthouse in the stiff wind are all similar to elements that Doughty used in his 18 Read more…
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2002-09-20
