Xanthus Russell Smith

LOT 293 XANTHUS RUSSELL SMITH 1839 - 1929 PAYSAGE ET MOISSON AU CONNECTICUT XANTHUS-RUSSEL SMITH ; LANDSCAPE AND HARVEST IN CONNECTICUT ; SIGNED AND DATED LOWER RIGHT ; OIL ON CANVAS Signé et daté en bas à droite Xanthus Smith 1862 Huile sur toile 22 x 34 cm ; 8 1/2 by 13 3/4 in.

Lot 9 Xanthus Russell Smith American, 1839-1929 Bombardment and Capture of Fort Hatteras, NC, August 29, 1861 Signed Xanthus Smith and dated 1888 (ll); signed, dated and inscribed on the reverse Bombardment of Fort Hatteras N.C./ Painted for Wm G. Williamson Esq./ Formerly 1st. Asst. Engr U.S. Navy Oil on canvas 21 1/8 x 34 1/8 inches Provenance: Private collection, Long Island, NY, circa 1970 Thence by descent to the current owner Although Xanthus Smith served in the U.S. Navy from 1862-1864, he saw little action. He sketched hundreds of ships in a variety of media, both for official purposes as well as for his own pleasure, and earned a reputation for his artistic ability. After the war, he made a name for himself painting some of the Civil War's most famous sea battles, meticulously researching these engagements and corresponding with the officers and sailors who were present. Depicting the first significant Union Victory in the Civil War, Bombardment and Capture of Fort Hatteras, NC, August 29, 1861 was actually painted more than twenty years after the bombardment took place. According to the inscription on the reverse of the painting, it was commissioned by William G. Williamson, a former first Engineer in the U. S. Navy, whose role in this historic event is unknown. The Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries (also known as the Battle of Forts Hatteras and Clark) on August 28 and 29, 1861 marked the first significant Union victory in the Civil War. The Confederate Fort Hatteras and nearby Fort Clark on North Carolina's barrier islands were bombarded by amphibious Union forces, and the ill-equipped and undermanned Confederate forts surrendered on the second day. The Union assault comprised over 800 men and a flotilla of seven ships with cannons that had greater range than those protecting the earthen forts. Additionally, the steam-powered Union ships were able to change position and fire without reliance on wind and currents. The Union victory gave them strategic control over Hatteras Inlet, the only deep water access to Pamlico Sound and the North Carolina shore beyond. C Estimate $20,000-40,000 Canvas appears to be trimmed to the tacking edge with a strip lining. Scattered touches of inpaint. Minor wrinkling of paint film in the clouds. At the horizon line at center is a globule of what appears to be paint that fluoresces upon examination. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Doyle New York shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. 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.

Xanthus Russell Smith (1838-1929) Opening of the Battle of Gettysburg and Death of General Reynolds signed 'Xanthus Smith' (lower left)--signed again, dated '1864' and inscribed with title and 'July 1st. 1863' (on the reverse) oil on canvas 15 x 25 in. (38.1 x 63.5 cm.) PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE PENNSYLVANIA COLLECTOR On July 1, 1863, General John F. Reynolds, a military man with a great deal of warfare experience, came to the assistance of a fellow general during a battle at Gettysburg. Smith illustrates the respectful recognition of the General's military contributions and ultimate sacrifice when he came to the aid of another general's soldiers. At a time when artists flocked to Europe for instruction and creativity, Smith took great pride in the fact that he was one of the few American artists who remained true to his country's landscapes and history. The present work is exemplary of this sentiment of Smith's ultimate passion.

Lot 378 Xanthus Russell Smith (American, 1839-1929) Cape May , 1865 Signed "Xanthus Smith" l.l., titled, dedicated, signed, and dated "..Painted for Joseph Wharton Esq./ By Xanthus Smith/ 1865" in the artist's hand on the reverse, with a partial label from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (see below) affixed to the frame and stretcher. Oil on canvas, 6 1/8 x 16 1/8 in. (15.6 x 41.0 cm), framed. Condition: Fine craquelure, minor retouch, minor surface grime. Provenance: From the artist to prominent Quaker merchant, industrialist, scientist, and philanthropist Joseph Wharton, Esq. (1826-1909) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Conanicut, Rhode Island; by family descent to daughter Joanna Wharton Lippincott (1858-1938) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; by family descent to the present owner. Literature: Peter Hastings Falk, ed. The Annual Exhibition Record of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (Madison: Soundview Press, 1988), p. 210. Exhibitions: 42nd Annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1865, no. 623. N.B. A Philadelphia native, born in 1839, Xanthus Smith was the son of Russell and Mary Priscilla Smith, both of whom were artists and who educated and encouraged their son. Smith traveled to Europe with his parents in the early 1850s and later that decade studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. During the Civil War, Smith enlisted in the Navy, and he made many detailed sketches of ships, encampments, and engagements that were very well received. Working shipboard using materials sent to him by his parents, Smith necessarily made works of compact size, establishing a preference for the accurate and detailed small-scale compositions that would characterize his future works. After the Civil War, Smith established a studio in Philadelphia, where he enjoyed substantial patronage. From 1869 to 1874, he created a series of Civil War marine battle scenes that earned him a wide following. The painting at hand, a view of Cape May, New Jersey, was painted in 1865 for Philadelphia entrepreneur, industrialist, and philanthropist Joseph Wharton (1826-1909). The painting's small scale, exquisite detail, and atmospheric precision display Smith's talents at their best. Approximately 100 miles to the south of Philadelphia, Cape May had been settled in Colonial times by whalers and fishermen, and became a seaside escape for visitors from Philadelphia by the mid 18th century. It is not known if this particular view held significance for Joseph Wharton, but Cape May would have been a welcome destination for the Whartons and their young daughter Joanna, born in 1858. Already a successful entrepreneur by 1865, Joseph Wharton went on to found the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, was a co-founder of Bethlehem Steel, and, with fellow Quakers, founded Swarthmore College. Estimate $8,000-12,000

LOT 62 PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF BEVERLY B. BERNSTEIN, WASHINGTOND.C. XANTHUS RUSSELL SMITH 1839 - 1929 MCCONNELLSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA oil on paper laid down on board 5,000—7,000 USD measurements measurements 8 by 11 3/8 in. alternate measurements (20.3 by 29 cm.) David David Gallery, PhiladelphiaSpanierman Gallery, New York