Francis Coates Jones (American 1857-1932) At the Garden Fountain

Francis Coates Jones (American, 1857-1932) At the Garden Fountain Signed "FRANCIS C. JONES" twice l.r. Oil on canvas, 23 x 19 in. (58.4 x 48.3 cm), framed. Condition: Restretched, puncture (u.l. quadrant with tape reinforced on the reverse), light retouch/varnish inconsistencies, craquelure, surface grime. Provenance: A private New Jersey collection. N.B. Francis Coates Jones was born in Baltimore, but received the majority of his artistic training abroad. He first traveled to the artist's colony in Pont-Aven, Brittany, along with his brother and fellow artist, Hugh Bolton Jones. In 1877 Francis enrolled in the École des Beaux Arts in Paris, eventually studying with Adolphe Bouguereau and Jules Joseph Lefebvre. He spent several years traveling and painting throughout France and Europe. Jones returned to the U.S., where he worked as an illustrator and taught at the National Academy of Design. Best known for figurative works and genre scenes, Jones' highly detailed and naturalistic compositions incorporate elements of both Impressionism and his French Academic training. The work was restretched, and the bottom 4 inches of the composition was folded under (but still exists), complete with its signature. The second signature is visible on the composition as it is presented. Both appear to be period signatures. The puncture is approximately 1/2 inch, within the white flowers above the fountain. The retouch is thin glazes. The craquelure is scattered and stable. The p