$7,500
Charles Ethan Porter (American, 1847-1923) Lilacs Signed "C. E. Porter" l.r. Oil on canvas, 20 x 28 in. (50.8 x 71.1 cm), framed. Condition: Scattered small losses, surface grime, drying cracks, scattered pinprick accretions. N.B. Charles Ethan Porter was a still-life painter in the 19th and early 20th century. He attended the Wesleyan Academy in Massachusetts and went on to study at New York's National Academy of Design, where he was one of the first African Americans to exhibit. In 1878, Porter opened a studio in Hartford where Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) came to know him through his local exhibitions. In the early 1880s, Porter announced a sale of his works to raise money to study in Europe. In 1881, Twain wrote to artist Karl Gerhardt and his wife Harriet, asking them to help Porter when he arrived in Paris. He also wrote a general letter of introduction for Porter to the American community there. Estimate $2,000-2,500 The losses are primarily pinpoint-size. THere is a larger cluster of losses to the background near the u.l. corner (the area is about 1 in tall). The work needs cleaning. There is natural fluorescence throughout the composition. The frame measures 25 x 32 1/4 x 2 3/4 in. Items may have wear and tear, imperfections, or the effects of aging. Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2020-01-24
