Thomas Birch 1779-1851

Russell W. Thorpe, New York
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne W. Johnson, New York (sold: Sotheby's, New York, December 6, 1984, lot 14, illustrated in color)
Alexander Gallery, New York (acquired at the above sale)
Sale: Christie's, New York, May 23, 1996, lot 5, illustrated in color
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale

New York, C. W. Lyon, Inc., A Benefit Exhibition of Privately Owned Early American Paintings with a Collection of Miniatures and Paperweights. Bundles for Britain, March-April, 1941 (probably), p. 14

Rodman Gilder, The Battery, Boston, Massachusetts, 1936, p. 123

This painting was conserved in 1998 by Fodera Fine Art Conservation. The painting is lined; visible craquelure; under UV: some scattered retouching to address abrasions in sky and sail on boat at left, other retouches to address craquelure, some other smaller areas of abrasion and loss have been conserved and retouched.
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.

Thomas Birch, one of the early republic's leading artists, began his career as a portraitist, producing both full-size paintings and miniatures, but by 1806 had shifted his focus to maritime subjects. By the end of the eighteenth century, seascapes had become increasingly popular with citizens of a young country whose lifeblood was maritime commerce. Birch specialized in both marine portraiture and topographic scenes of the bustling commercial cities along the mid-Atlantic coast, particularly New York and his hometown Philadelphia.

When Birch painted The Battery and Harbor, New York in 1811, local leaders were in the process of reimagining the city. That year Federalist land developers proposed a colossal plan to build a 360 mile canal that would connect the Hudson River to Lake Erie. The grand new façade of City Hall was near completion, and in the spring, a remarkable eight-foot-long map was unveiled that revealed a new 'grid' plan of streets and avenues stretching up through Manhattan's rural landscape between Houston and 155^th streets. Parts of the crowded southern tip of Manhattan and the surrounding harbor were also undergoing change. Birch's canvas is a brilliant depiction of Battery Park (also known as Battery Walk), named for the gun batteries that had once been located there. The park had been developed in 1805 as "a crescent shaped piece of ground of about ten acres" that offered New Yorkers a place to stroll along the busy waterfront.

Birch's scene includes portents that the city was bracing itself for the looming war with Great Britain. In addition to a naval officer, Birch also depicts Castle Williams, one of four forts completed in 1811 to protect New York's harbor against a naval attack.  Castle Williams, dubbed by locals as the "Cheese Box" because of its circular shape, was located just off the Battery on Governor's Island, and was a state-of-the-art structure.  Its red sandstone walls were forty feet high and eight feet thick; three tiers of guns were positioned to fire on enemy ships. In preparation for war, New Yorkers tore down the three-railed wooden fence near the small beach at the water's edge and replaced it with a stone posted iron railing along with substantial earthworks. The presence of the wooden fence in Birch's scene helps to date the scene, as it was replaced sometime after October of 1811.