Description:
John Appleton Brown (American, 1844-1902)
Celia's Garden
Signed and dated "J. Appleton Brown '79" l.r., identified on a label affixed to the reverse, inscribed "John Thaxter Sept. 1874" on the stretcher.
Oil on canvas with Boston tabs, 18 x 24 in. (45.7 x 60.9 cm),framed.
Condition: Very small puncture in u.r. quadrant, varnish discoloration.
Provenance: By descent within the family of Celia Thaxter.
N.B. Celia Thaxter was a 19th century poet. She grew up on the New Hampshire coast where her father was a lighthouse keeper. Her home and garden on the island of Appledore in the Isles of Shoals just off the coast of Maine became a favorite haven for notable literary and artistic figures of the time, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. J. Appleton Brown spent time there during summers, as did William Morris Hunt and Childe Hassam. In 1894 Thaxter published An Island Garden with her writing about her garden and Hassam's illustrations.
Estimate $2,500-3,500
Condition: Puncture in the upper right quadrant measures 0.1 cm, located in the brown shade. Varnish inconsistencies visible under black-light, especially in along the lower section of the painting. No retouch visible.
Frame dimensions: 23 x 29 1/2 in.
A note regarding the provenance: The consignor has shared that the painting was either given directly to Celia herself (and then to her son John),or directly to John. John then gave or bequeathed it to his daughter, Rosamond Thaxter. Rosamond died in 1989, bequeathed the painting to the current owner, who is the great great grandson Celia Thaxter.
The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Condition requests can be obtained via email (lot inquiry button) or by telephone to the appropriate gallery location (Boston/617.350.5400 or Marlborough/508.970.3000). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner Inc. shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
Keywords
Ralph Waldo Emerson, B. Celia Thaxter, Nathaniel HawthorneStephen L. Fletcher
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American & European Works of Art
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