Sanford Robinson Gifford

Lot Description Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823-1880) Tappan Zee signed 'SR Gifford' (lower left) oil on canvas 17¼ x 36¼ in. (43.8 x 92.1 cm.) Painted in 1879-80. Provenance Mr. Malcolm Graham. Miss Mary Douglass Graham, daughter of the above, by descent, circa 1899. Samuel T. Hubbard, Yonkers, New York, 1914. By descent to the present owner. Literature Artist's notes, circa 1879-80, transcribed on S.R. Gifford, letter to Rev. O.B. Frothingham, New York, 1874. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, A Memorial Catalogue of the Paintings of Sanford Robinson Gifford, N.A., exhibition catalogue, New York, 1881, p. 45, no. 715. I. Weiss, Poetic Landscape: The Art and Experience of Sanford R. Gifford, Cranbury, New Jersey, 1987, pp. 329, 333, n. 17. View Lot Notes > Sanford Gifford's masterful depictions of the nineteenth-century American landscape are exceptionally articulate visions of nature. Gifford's compositions, complemented by his inspired use of light and atmosphere to convey emotion, are among the most progressive of the period. The present work, Tappan Zee, is a superb example of the artist's conception of Luminism. According to Dr. Ila Weiss, the present work "is a long-lost, well-documented, important late painting by Sanford R. Gifford. It was listed by the artist as one of his 'Chief Pictures,' dated 1879-80, on a copy in his possession of an autobiographical letter sent to the Rev. Octavius Brooks Frothingham in 1874; and it is listed as #715 in the Gifford Memorial Catalogue (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1881), dated 1880 and owned by Malcolm Graham, a New York military equipment dealer (Schuyler, Hartley and Graham) who was amassing a private art collection at this time." Dr. Weiss further notes, "Tappan Zee is one of several paintings by Gifford that explore the effects of sails in luminous atmosphere on the lake-like, open portions of the Hudson River--the contiguous Haverstraw Bay and Tappan Zee to its north--from the east bank, with the Palisades beyond. A critic reviewing the whole gamut of the artist's work at the Gifford Memorial Exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1880 perceptively observed, 'The Hudson touches him profoundly and in certain humors and moods finds memorable interpretation, especially the lower Hudson, in the sleepy stretches of the Tappan Zee and Palisades.' ("Science and Art: The Metropolitan Art Museum," Christian Union, 22:8, November 3, 1880, p. 373.) Tappan Zee displays Gifford's consummate mastery as a colorist. The irridescent field of air is gray-blue at the top edge and in reflection at the bottom, imperceptibly blending toward a pinkish glow at the horizon. Autumnal foliage is suggested simply by highlights of pink-yellows and warm pinks on the warm brown underpainting of the woods, with more distant trees paled to dull yellow in haze. Now stretching over the river more widely and gracefully than before at the point of land, a glowing tree is conjured with pale pink-yellow impasto against the ineffable, luminous atmosphere. With its reflection, the tree's curved shape cradles the dory, its fisherman's pink top and yellow-white seine producing their own long, dramatic, answering reflections, echoed by those of the train-watchers. In the far distance, almost imperceptible touches of salmon light near the top of the Palisades suggest its solid form through haze; and the palest touches of white on some of the sails penciled in along the horizon almost vanish in luminous air, the essence of his artistry." (unpublished letter dated 13 February 2013) A letter from the recognized expert, Dr. Ila Weiss, accompanies this lot. We wish to thank her for her assistance with cataloguing.

Sanford Robinson Gifford (American, 1823-1880) Hunter Mountain at Twilight, c. 1865 oil on canvas stamped Gifford sale (verso) 7 x 11 3/4 inches. Estimate $ 150,000-200,000 Property from the Family of Sanford Robinson Gifford Provenance: Estate of the artist By descent in the family of the artist to the present owner Literature: Memorial Catalogue of the Paintings of Sanford Robinson Gifford, N.A., 1881, p. 31, no. 406 Unlined, recently cleaned. Basic good condition. Under UV: no obvious evidence of damage or restoration. Framed dimensions: 18 x 22 1/2 inches.

SKETCH OF EGYPT MONUMENTS BY SANFORD ROBINSON GIFFORD (MASSACHUSETTS/NEW YORK, 1823-1880). Graphite on paper, unsigned. Statues of pharaohs taken from a sketch book. Included is a copy of the sketchbook cover with a date 1881. 5"h. 8.5"w., in a frame, 10.5"h. 14"w. Ex Hirschl-Adler Galleries (New York). Estimate $ 400-800 We provide condition information when it is requested by a potential bidder, as a part of our dedication to excellent customer service. However, the absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections, repairs, restorations or the effects of aging. Garth's Auctions shall have no responsibility for any error or omission regarding an item's condition. We encourage you to call or email with any questions. We also encourage you to come see us and preview the auction in-person. Thank you for your business.

LOT 83 PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF EDWARD P. EVANS SANFORD ROBINSON GIFFORD 1823 - 1880 HAVERSTRAW BAY (SHAD FISHING ON THE HUDSON) signed S.R. Gifford and dated 1868, l.l. oil on canvas 250,000—350,000 USD measurements measurements 9 1/2 by 20 in. alternate measurements (24.1 by 50.8 cm) signed S.R. Gifford and dated 1868, l.l. oil on canvas Theodore WestonVose Galleries, Boston, MassachusettsCollection of Dr. Paul Vignos, Jr., Chagrin Falls, Ohio, 1965(acquired from the above)M. Knoedler & Co., New YorkBerry-Hill Galleries, New YorkAcquired by the present owner from the above, 1981 Ila Weiss, Sanford Robinson Gifford, New York, 1977, p. 272,illustrated pl. VII K 6 From 1866 to 1868, Gifford painted sites on or near the TappanZee and Haverstraw Bay, the widest points of the Hudson River,where the vast expanse of water and the grand landscape offer apristine view. Near these areas the Hudson is three miles wide andflanked by the steep bluffs of the Palisades Ridge and the HudsonValley. Painted from the shore near Sing Sing Penitentiary,Haverstraw Bay (Shad Fishing on the Hudson) looksnorthwest from Ossining, New York. The distant landfall is HighTor, also known as Vogel Mountain, which rises more then eighthundred and thirty feet above the river at its highest point. InHaverstraw Bay , a veil of silence settles over theview as shad boats rest idly and two fishermen haul their netsamidst a morning haze. Gifford warms the composition with pinktones, the boats and white sails along the distant shorelinedelicately counterbalancing the powerful presence of High Tor.Gifford completed the work in 1868 and, as Ila Weiss writes, "thepainting was probably the last in a series of the subject whoselargest version, Morning on Haverstraw Bay in the Hudson (Terra Foundation for the Arts, Daniel J. Terra Collection,Chicago), was dated 1866" (Sanford Robinson Gifford , NewYork, 1977, p. 272).

SANFORD ROBINSON GIFFORD American (1823-1880) "Lake Champlain" oil on canvas, signed lower left and dated 1860. 5 1/4 x 9 1/2 Provenance: D. Wigmore Fine Art, New York, New York; Privatecollection; Sotheby's, November 29, 1995, lot 108. Exhibitions: The Robert Hull Fleming Musuem, Burlington, Vermont,"A Beckoning Country: Art and Objects from the Lake ChamplainValley", April 14 - September 20, 2009. Literature: Illa Weiss, "Poetic Landscapes: The Art and Experienceof Sanford R. Gifford", Neward: University of Delaware Press, 1987,p. 218, pl . 8, color ill. Estimate $ 70,000-100,000