John La Farge 1835 - 1910

Henry Lee Higginson, Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1893 (acquired from the artist)
Mrs. Henry Lee Higginson (his wife), Boston, Massachusetts, 1919
Alexander Henry Higginson (her son), Lincoln, Massachusetts and Dorset, England, 1935
Estate of Mary Newcomb Higginson (his wife), Dorset, England and New York, 1966
Kennedy Galleries, New York, 1967 (acquired from the above)
Cass Canfield, Sr., New York, 1967 (sold: Christie's, New York, March 15, 1985, lot 101, illustrated)
Jordan-Volpe Gallery, New York
Transco Energy Company, Houston, Texas (sold: Sotheby's, New York, December 3, 1992, illustrated)
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale

New York, Durand-Ruel Galleries, Paintings, Studies, Sketches and Drawings, Mostly Records of Travel 1886 and 1890-91 by La Farge, February-March 1895, no. 82
Paris, France, Durand-Ruel Galleries, April 1895, no. 81
Boston, Massachusetts, Museum of Fine Arts, John La Farge Memorial Exhibition, January 1911
New York, Kennedy Galleries, John La Farge: 1835-1910, January-February 1968, no. 17, illustrated

This work is in very good condition. The sheet is hinged to the mat at the upper corners. There is tape from a former mounting across the top edge of the reverse, and some staining to the sheet, primarily in the lower register outside of the image and at the far edges of the image. There is some adhesive residue at the sides in the lower margin. The sheet has a 4-inch margin below the image with the following inscription: "His leg in water...Prow of boat painted white (in shadows)...Part of the fishing party from our village, Nov. 20th. This is the group to the right farthest out. They are waiting for the tide to set in, and bring the fish. They are outside of the great net with smaller ones to catch the fish getting over. As you see, the water is not deep-we are inside the reef. Some have heads whitened with lime; one has a white turban secured with grass. Two have headdresses of banana leaves. Vau, Mataafa's daughter, came to us with a fish, swimming however, and mostly under water. About the time the fish came in most of the people got into the water with their nets, many keeping their eyes under water to see the fish, for a very long time, especially Mataafa. All the time they made an enormous circle outside the great net."
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

On October 5, 1890, in the second month of their fifteen month voyage to the South Seas, John La Farge and his friend Henry Adams arrived off Samoa. They spent most of their time on the island of Upolu, where they stayed in a guest house in the village of Vaiala and accompanied many excursions with villagers and the island royalty. The present watercolor was executed from a boat on November 20th, during a fishing expedition with King Mataafa. La Farge described the event in an inscription which appears under the mat, which reads: "Part of the fishing party from our village, Nov. 20th. This is the group to the right farthest out. They are waiting for the tide to set in, and bring the fish. They are outside of the great net with smaller ones to catch the fish getting over. As you see, the water is not deep - we are inside the reef. Some have heads whitened with lime; one has a white turban secured with grass. Two have headdresses of banana leaves. Vau, Mataafa's daughter, came to us with a fish, swimming however, and mostly under water. About the time the fish came in most of the people got into the water with their nets, many keeping their eyes under water to see the fish, for a very long time, especially Mataafa. All the time they made an enormous circle outside the great net."