Robert Salmon (Anglo/American, 1775-c. 1845)

Description:

Robert Salmon (Anglo/American, 1775-c. 1845) Vessels in a Harbor/Probably Royal Naval Fort at Milford Haven, England Initialed and dated "R.S. 1839" l.r., signed and dated "Painted by R. Salmon 1839 No...4" on the reverse. Oil on panel, 9 3/4 x 12 in. (24.4 x 30.7 cm),framed. Condition: Surface grime, craquelure. N.B. The entry for number four in Salmon's catalogue of paintings reads "April 1839 10 by 12, 2 Day. sunset."1 Salmon's subjects in 1839 vary greatly and include views of Boston and Nahant as well as the Isles of Bute and the River Clyde in the United Kingdom. Although it is now generally believed that Salmon returned to England in 1840 and continued working there until 1845, it is probable that this composition, though painted in America, depicts the Royal Naval Fort at Milford Haven, England. In spite of the specific nature of the setting, Salmon's record book seems to indicate that Salmon was more interested in the light effects of the work described as "sunset." At this time Salmon was completing several works for lithographer William Pendleton, with whom luminist painter Fitz Hugh Lane also worked. Not only does the topographical clarity of the work presented here recall the work of Lane, but the quiet stillness of light seems to foreshadow Lane's luminist harbor views of the 1850s and 1860s. We are grateful to Charles Lanagan for his assistance in cataloging this painting. John Wilmerding, Robert Salmon: Painter of Ship & Shore, (Peabody Museum of Salem/Boston Public Library: Massachusetts, 1971),p. 97.
Estimate $25,000-35,000

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