William Trost Richards

Newman Galleries, Inc., Philadelphia
(probably) Sale: Freeman's Auctions, Philadelphia, circa 1950
Private Collection, United States (purchased from the above)
Acquired as a gift from the above by the present owner

Canvas is lined. SURFACE: In good condition aside from stable craquelure in the sky. UNDER UV: A few small, scattered dots of inpainting.
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.

By the mid-1860s, Richards had become enthralled with the austere, dramatic beauty of the coasts of New England and Great Britain. As opposed to most of his contemporaries, his remarkably realistic depictions of incandescent, crashing waves and the effects of light and mist came from firsthand observation. He routinely spent whole days painting at the sea’s edge in all weather to make what he saw come alive. His success in conveying nature’s raw power and splendor is clearly evident in the present work.  His own words in a letter to a friend capture the picture perfectly, “I watch and watch it, try to disentangle its push and leap and recoil, make myself ready to catch the tricks of the big breakers and am always startled out of my self-possession by the thunder and the rush, jump backward up the loose shingle of the beach, sure this time I will be washed away; get soaked with spray, and am ashamed that I had missed getting the real drawing of such a splendid one, and this happens 20 times an hour and I have never got used to it.” (Carol M. Osborne, William Trost Richards: True to Nature, Stanford, 2010, p. 94).

Lot 108 is illustrated as the inside front cover of this catalogue.