$547
Henry Willard (American, 1800-1857) The Village Smithy . Unsigned, identified in a handwritten letter affixed to the reverse. Oil on panel, 10 3/4 x 14 7/8 in., framed. Condition: Minor abrasions, surface grime. N.B. A handwritten letter from George O. Ware, MD, of Worcester, Massachusetts, lists the painting as an heirloom of the Willard family, painted by "Uncle" Harry Willard, c. 1830. The letter includes the birth and death dates of the artist, which are corroborated in the Willard genealogy gathered by Joseph Willard and Charles Wilkes Walker and published for the family in Boston in 1915. Dr. Ward described the artist as a bachelor with a studio in Boston, who enjoyed spending time in Charlton with his brother Aaron, who was a blacksmith, captain of the militia, and leader of the town choir. The family genealogy states that the artist died in a railroad accident in 1857. The painting was handed down from Camie W. Pierce to Dr. Ward, and then presumably to other descendants as specified in the letter. The letter includes lines from the poem The Village Blacksmith by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, suggesting that the painting was intended as an allegory similar to that expressed by the poet. Examples of portraits by Henry Willard are found in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. Photocopies of pages from the Willard family genealogy and of Henry Willard portraits at the Smithsonian accompany the lot.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2012-07-18
