Thomas Birch 1779 - 1851

(Sale: Sotheby's, New York, December 3, 2003, lot 97, as View of the Delaware River)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Canvas is lined. Surface has apparent pressed craquelure throughout. Somewhat thin and pressed. Edges are slightly abrated from frame. Under UV: sky with numerous scattered small spots of repaint, areas of sky appear to be also repainted at an earlier date, a 2 in. line of repaint center at church steeple, water has a few retouches mainly lower right quadrant, a few spots on boat at left.
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.

Considered one of the earliest American marine painters, Birch was the son of prominent enamelist and miniature painter, William Russell Birch (1755-1834).  Father and son immigrated to Philadelphia from England in 1794 and by 1806 Thomas started accepting commissions for portraits and painting the marine subjects for which he would become best known.  His specialties were his ship portraits, seascapes and sea battles of the War of 1812. 

In the1830s, Birch turned his attention to topographic views of the harbors of major cities.  He was particularly interested in portraying the ships and people who plied these waters and was one of the first artists to make the effort to depict watercraft with a high degree of  accuracy.  Since he was not a sailor himself, he consulted with sailors and officers at Philadelphia's wharf side to tutor him about the technical aspects of ship construction and to criticize his attempts. 

Birch remained in Philadelphia all of his life and the subject matter for most of his work is related to that city, but on occasion he did travel to New York, New Jersey and Delaware to paint views of these locations.  Although a few works by him of New England do exist, he is not known to have traveled there.  For example, he painted an early view of Nantucket, although it is unlikely he ever visited the island.  It is thought that in his views of locations farther afield than he ventured, he would use the topographical features of engravings or works of other artists.  This is not surprising, given the pains he took to make his compositions as authentic and accurate as possible from the standpoint of shipping vessels or the topography of the places he knew well.

An engraving and watercolor of Boston with the same topographical composition by William James Bennett dated circa 1832 are in the I.N. Phelps Stokes Collection in the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs of the New York Public Library, (Cf.  Gloria Gilda Deák, Picturing America, 1988, vol. I, p. 274, no. 407 and vol. II, no. 407).  While the sky line of Boston and the building and pier to the left are identical to the engraving, the ships and activity in the harbor are Birch's own composition, with numerous sea vessels and  figures engaged in their everyday pursuits on a calm and peaceful day.  Characteristic of Birch, he animates the scene with the repetitive motion of the waves.  As John Wilmerding has noted, Birch was a master "in understanding the fluid movements of waves and reproducing the luminosity of light reflected on the water."   (Alan Granby, A Yachtsman's Eye:  The Glen S. Foster Collection of Marine Paintings, New York, 2004, pp. 139 and 158).