Lot 162
  • 162

Mary Ethel Young Hunter

Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Mary Ethel Young Hunter
  • down beacon hill from tudor penthouse, boston
  • signed and dated l.l.: Mary Y Hunter 1910
  • oil on board

Provenance

By descent through the artist's family

Exhibited

London, Pyms Gallery, Edwardian Pre-Raphaelites, The Art of John and Mary Young Hunter, June 2000, no. 45

Condition

STRUCTURE This picture is unlined and in excellent original condition with clear colouring throughout. There is a small area of lifting paint on the right side of the lake but otherwise there are no condition problems and this picture is ready to hang. ULTRA VIOLET LIGHT Under ultra violet light there is a small area of minor retouching above the large rectangular building- this is not visible to the naked eye. FRAME Contained in a modern black wooden frame.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

This evocative evening scene of the afterglow over the city of Boston, was painted from the upper window of a penthouse named The Tudors Penthouse, looking down to the Charles river through the neighbourhood of Beacon Hill. The Tudors was the home of William Finlay Morgan and his wife Elise who the Young Hunters befriended soon after arriving in Boston in 1910. This was Mary's first visit to America and both she and her husband received a warm reception, facilitated by a letter of introduction from John Singer Sargent to the collector and socialite Isabella Stewart Gardner.

The moody greys and cool blues of the buildings are softened by chimney smoke rising in plumes from apartment blocks on the residential side of the river and from the factories of the other bank. The tones evoke the winter chill as gaslights are turned on in the buildings and along the esplanade and avenues. Mary Young Hunter was clearly inspired by the grandeur of the modern metropolis which she has painted with the bravura of contemporary American art.