Lot 176
  • 176

Alfred Thompson Bricher 1837-1908

Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 USD
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Description

  • Alfred Thompson Bricher
  • Evening at Scituate-Low Tide
  • signed with the artist's monogrammed signature ATBricher, l.l.
  • oil on canvas
  • 15 by 33 in.
  • (38.1 by 83.8 cm)

Provenance

Alexander Gallery, New York
Gloria and Richard Manney (sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 27, 1993, lot 158, illustrated in color)
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale

Condition

Good condition, lined, stable medium patterned cracqulurein left half of composition, some thin veins of lifting; under UV: spots, dots and dashes of inpainting to the rocks and left foreground, along left edge and right center sky.
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.

Catalogue Note

Beginning in the late 1860s, Alfred Thompson Bricher abandoned the traditional landscapes of the Hudson River School idiom, favoring instead to paint the picturesque coasts along New England shore.  During the summer months, Bricher ventured on sketching expeditions to Narragansett, Grand Manan, Newport and Scituate, Massachusetts, among other locations, preferring to work en plein air before returning to his New York studio for the winter.  Jeffrey R. Brown writes that Bricher's seascapes "can radiate a reflected sun with pupil-shrinking brilliance or stifle all motion in mist. With a parabolic curve he connotes the infinite expanse of the sea making its peace with a formidable shore.  His dense shrouds of seaweed skirting tide-washed boulders seethe with throaty shades of purple and olive while mica sequins give iridescence to sun soaked granite.  He was fascinated by the dialogue between patterns of clouds and shafts of light and their reflection in calm waters.  He knew the coast intimately in all its moods" (Alfred Thompson Bricher, 1973, Indianapolis, Indiana, p. 12).   Evening at Scituate-Low Tide juxtaposes rugged boulders which anchor the left side of the composition with the serene surface of the water and saturated brilliance of the sunset, exhibiting Bricher's remarkable affinity for the craggy shores of his native New England.