Description:

William Henry Buck (Norwegian/New Orleans, 1840-1888), "Louisiana Plantation along Lake Pontchartrain", oil on canvas, unsigned, 10 in. x 16 in., framed. Provenance: Private Estate Collection, Birmingham, AL. Descended in the family of William Henry Buck; Neal Auction Company, April 16, 2001, lot 365. Note: A student of Richard Clague, William Henry Buck developed his skills on plein air sketching excursions with his mentor and artists such as Andres Molinary and Marshall Joseph Smith, Jr. These trips, many along the shores of Lake Pontchartrain, were undoubtedly influential on the development of Buck's distinctive use of lighting effects and evocative atmosphere, as seen in the charming work offered here. Buck achieved a recognizable and engaging compositional style which makes his work clearly discernable from that of his contemporaries. This scene of Louisiana plantation life along Lake Pontchartrain was almost certainly inspired by his sketching trips and is an excellent example of Buck’s talent at depicting minute detail. The viewer gazes on the backland of a plantation with various pursuits on display. Cattle graze along the shore near a schooner anchored in the lake. Two figures sit in a pirogue on the bayou while others cross the bridge. In addition to the cabin in the foreground, other buildings related to the workings of the plantation are grouped together in the background. The stretcher bars of this painting indicate the size by paint script number inscriptions in an identical hand as the Buck painting sold from the same family collection at Neal Auction Company on Feb. 12, 2011 as lot 309.

  • Condition: All lots are sold “As is” and “Where is”. Neal Auction provides condition reports on items with a low estimate over $500 as a courtesy to aid in your bidding decision. No statement regarding age, condition, kind, value, or quality of a lot, whether made orally at the auction or at any other time, or in writing in this catalogue or elsewhere, shall be construed to be an express or implied warranty, representation, or assumption of liability. Completed condition reports are posted as an additional image with the lot. Neal Auction does not give refunds.

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January 26, 2019 10:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

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$100 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $49,999 $500
$50,000 $999,999 $5,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $10,000
$2,000,000 $2,999,999 $15,000
$3,000,000 + $20,000