$52,875
Laura Coombs Hills (American, 1859-1952) Peonies and Velvet Signed "Laura Hills" u. r., label from Doll & Richards, Inc., Boston, on the reverse. Pastel on paper/board, 28 1/2 x 23 in. (72.3 x 58.4 cm), in original black frame. Condition: Foxing, not examined out of frame. N.B. After spending many years painting landscapes, portrait miniatures, and even illustrations, by 1920 Hills had turned her artistic focus to creating pastel floral still lifes. Lizzie Hills, the artist's sister, tended the gardens of Laura's Newburyport home 'The Goldfish', where each morning they would cut and arrange flowers to be placed before an oftentimes textile backdrop, selected from Hills' extensive collection of tapestries and scarves purchased during her many trips overseas. Her works from this period were received with such great enthusiasm that she was granted several solo exhibitions at venues such as the Copley Gallery, Doll & Richards Gallery, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Guild of Boston Artists. It was also during this time that the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, purchased several of Hill's works.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2004-05-14
