Laura Coombs Hills (American, 1859-1952) The May Queen

Description:

Laura Coombs Hills (American, 1859-1952)

The May Queen
Signed "Laura Hills" l.r., identified on a partial label and inscribed "Presented to
...E.L. Lane by Laura Hills, May 1944" on a period label affixed to the reverse.
Pastel on paper/board, sight size 35 1/2 x 27 3/4 in. (90.2 x 70.5 cm),framed.
Condition: Stable, not examined out of frame.
Provenance: From the artist, through the sitter, to a private New England collector.
N.B. Laura Coombs Hills was first known for her portrait miniatures. Producing approximately 400 miniatures in the first decades of the 19th century, Hills was a founding member and vice president of the American Society of Miniature Painters. Due to failing eyesight and shifting trends, Hill began to focus on larger, floral pastels by the 1920s. In these works, she played with bright colors and asymmetrical compositions. In this work, Hills combines the stylistic elements of her floral compositions with her first love, portraiture.
Estimate $30,000-50,000

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