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Lot 408
Description:
Lily Martin Spencer (French/American, 1822-1902), "Romeyn Pierson's Children", oil on canvas, unsigned, c. 1859-60, Newark, New Jersey Colorman stamp en verso, 40 in. x 50 in., in an antique gilt frame.
- Notes: Note: In 1830, Lily Martin emigrated from Paris to Marietta, Ohio, where she began painting in her teens. In 1848, she and her husband, Benjamin Rush Spencer, moved to New York City to further her career. In New York, Spencer took night classes at the National Academy of Design and eventually became one of the leading American female artists in the 1850s and 60s. She continued to paint until the end of her life at age 80 The painting "Romeyn Pierson's Children" is very similar to her portrait "The Children of Marcus L. Ward" (her landlord). In fact, it may have been Ward that introduced Spencer to the Pierson family. Both works depict Spencer's attention to realistic detail and her meticulous brushwork, as well as her skill at painting textures and fabrics. Another characteristic recognizable in Spencer's works is the positioning of the children in the portrait, as though they were caught in a moment of play. Although Spencer's paintings were sometimes criticized for being too "Victorian" in nature, the idea of capturing a moment in time is, in fact, a thoroughly modern one, used by the Impressionists of the same time period.
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October 11, 2008 10:00 AM CDT
New Orleans, LA, US
Neal Auction Company
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