Grafton Tyler Brown

GRAFTON TYLER BROWN (1841 - 1918) Eagle's Nest, Yellowstone. Oil on canvas, 1890-91. 762x508 mm; 30x20 inches. Signed and dated "'91" in oil, lower right recto. Inscribed "The Eagle's Nest, Grand Canyon of the Yellow Stone National Park, August 14, 1890, From Hayden Point" in pencil, verso. Provenance: private California collection; private collection. This impressive and colorful landscape by Grafton Tyler Brown, the first African-American painter active in the American West, is representative of his work around Yellowstone National Park. Brown was born in Harrisburg, PA to a family of freed slaves from Maryland; the family moved to San Francisco in 1855. Brown worked for the lithography firm of Kuchel & Dresel, where he specialized in drawing maps and bird's-eye views of cities and towns in Nevada and California. After the owners' death, Brown purchased the firm, renaming it G.T. Brown & Co, but he sold the business in 1879 in order to devote his time to painting. He moved to Victoria, BC, joining the Canadian government's geological survey of the Cascade Mountains and exhibiting his works there in 1883. The following year he moved again, this time to Washington, where he frequently painted Mt. Rainier. From 1886 to 1889, the artist had a studio and home in Portland, OR, where he was a member of the Portland Art Club. But by 1892, Brown was on the move again, relocating to St. Paul, MN, where he remained until his death in 1918--no paintings by him have been found from this period. Today, his paintings are in the collections of museums throughout the United States, and are valued for their documentation of the Western wilderness. Eagle's Nest is recorded in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's "Inventory of American Paintings Executed Before 1914." Estimate $10,000-15,000

Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918) Eagles Nest, Yellowstone, 1890, 1891 signed 'GT Brown '91' (lower right) and titled and dated 'The Eagles Nest / Grand Canyon of the / Yellowstone National Park / Aug.14.1890 / From / Hayden Point' (on the reverse, visible prior to lining) oil on canvas 30 1/4 x 20in overall: 35 3/4 x 26in Footnote: As is well documented, Grafton Tyler Brown was the first recorded African-American artist active in the American West. Between 1884 and 1892, Brown resided in Portland, Oregon after having lived in San Francisco and Victoria, British Columbia. The Portland Art Club, the first artists' association in the Pacific Northwest, was formed in December 1885 with Brown as its secretary. By 1886 the club was listed in the city directory with banker Henry W. Corbett as President, Cleveland Rockwell as Vice President, Edward Espey as Treasurer and Brown as Secretary. In addition to Mt. Rainier and Mt. Hood, Brown made his first trips to Yellowstone during his Portland years. During this time he expanded his collector base dramatically. It is likely that nearly half of his career output of oil paintings were Yellowstone scenes. No dated Grafton Tyler Brown oils are known to exist after he moved from Oregon to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1892. Eagles Nest, Yellowstone, 1890, 1891 is recorded in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventory of American Paintings Executed Before 1914 .

Back to catalogue Place Bid or Track Lot Lot No: 20 Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918) Lake Tahoe inscribed 'Lake Tahoe' and further inscribed indistinctly '18[...]' (on the reverse) oil on canvas 20 x 30in overall: 26 1/2 x 36 1/2in Estimate: US$10,000 - 15,000 View Condition Report Contact the Specialist to discuss this lot or selling in a future sale Email: Erin Cabral Tel: +1 415 503 3345 To subscribe to or order a Printed Catalogue quote ref: 19247 Tel: +1 800 223 2854 ext 3550

Grafton Tyler Brown (American,1841-1918) Eagles Nest, Yellowstone, 1890, 1891 signed 'GT Brown '91' (lower right) and titled and dated 'TheEagles Nest / Grand Canyon of the / Yellowstone National Park /Aug.14.1890 / From / Hayden Point' (on the reverse - visible priorto lining) oil on canvas 30 1/4 x 20in overall: 35 3/4 x 26in As is well documented, Grafton Tyler Brown was the firstdocumented African-American artist active in the American West. Some of hismost productive years were spent after leaving studios in SanFrancisco and Victoria, British Columbia and moving to Portland, Oregon in1884. The Portland Art Club, the first artists' association in thePacific Northwest, was formed in December 1885 with Brown as secretary. By1886 the club was listed in the city directory with banker Henry W.Corbett, President; Cleveland Rockwell, Vice President; Brown as Secretaryand Edward Espey, Treasurer. In addition to Mt. Rainier and Mt. Hood, Brown made his first tripsto Yellowstone during his Portland years and expanded his collectorbase dramatically. It is likely that nearly half of his careeroutput of oil paintings were Yellowstone scenes. He left Portlandin 1892 and moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. No dated Grafton TylerBrown oils are known after his departure from Oregon. Eagles Nest, Yellowstone, 1890, 1891 is recorded in theSmithsonian American Art Museum's Inventory of American Paintings ExecutedBefore 1914 .

Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918) Mt. Tacoma, September effect, 1885 signed and dated 'GTBrown. 1885.' (lower right) and signed and inscribed 'Mt. Tacoma W.T. / Alt. 14,450 ft. / from Tacoma W.T. / Sept. effect. / GTBrown' (on the reverse) oil on canvas 26 x 42in overall: 37 x 53in Mount Rainier was first known by the Native Americans as Talol, Tahoma, or Tacoma, from the Lushootseed word 'mother of waters' spoken by the Puyallup tribe. Captain George Vancouver reached Puget Sound in 1792 and became the first European to see the mountain. He named it in honor of his friend, Rear Admiral Peter Rainier.