William Trost Richards

Walter Penn Shipley, Germantown, Pennsylvania, 1900 (acquired from the artist)
Thomas Emlen Shipley Sr., Philadelphia, circa 1940 (by descent from above)
Anne Emlen Shipley, Hatfield, Philadelphia, 1973 (by descent from above)
David Hatfield, Portland, Oregon, 2001 (by descent from above)
Acquired from the above by the present owner
 

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes, Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com. Mr. Parkes is an independent conservator and not an employee of Sotheby's.This work is in beautiful condition. The canvas is unlined. The paint layer is cleaned and varnished. It is clearly un-abraded, and there is no visible deterioration of the paint layer. There is one retouching in the sky about 2 ½ inches from the center of the left edge and a horizontal line of about half a dozen tiny dots in the upper center sky. There are other areas of the paint layer which fluoresce very strongly under ultraviolet light in the profile of the cliff in the upper right, in the cliffs in the center, in a couple of peaks of the waves in the left side, and in the white clouds in the upper left. All of these areas seem to be original to the artist, or possibly the estate, but they are not restoration, despite the fact that they fluoresce very strongly. It seems that these changes are the work of the artist himself to introduce some green to the cliffs and slightly more brightness to the clouds in the 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.

The work is ensconced in a Newcomb Macklin Frame.

William Trost Richards first summered in Newport, Rhode Island in 1874 and immediately became entranced by its natural beauty. After several years abroad, he returned to Newport in 1880 to find it had become too crowded for his taste. Across the Narragansett Bay, he found the island of Conanicut more suitable to his need for isolation and built a home there in 1881. This home, where he enjoyed many summers with his family, was named Greycliff after the granite cliffs on the coast line.