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HENRY RODERICK NEWMAN | Flowers in a Landscape
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description
- Henry Roderick Newman
- Flowers in a Landscape
- signed HR NEWMAN and dated 1883 (lower right)
- watercolor on paper
- image: 20 by 6 1/4 inches (50.8 by 16.5 cm)
- sheet: 20 by 12 5/8 inches (50.8 by 32.1 cm)
Provenance
Private collection, by 1990
[With]Alfred J. Walker Fine Art, Boston, Massachusetts
Vance Jordan Fine Art, New York, 1990 (probably acquired from the above)
Acquired by the present owner from the above
[With]Alfred J. Walker Fine Art, Boston, Massachusetts
Vance Jordan Fine Art, New York, 1990 (probably acquired from the above)
Acquired by the present owner from the above
Exhibited
New York, The Jordan-Volpe Gallery, Inc., A Quiet Devotion: The Life and Work of Henry Roderick Newman, April-June 1996, no. 19, p. 109, illustrated p. 83
Condition
The sheet is hinged to the support along the upper reverse edge. It appears as though pigments in the sky at the upper right may be slightly faded.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
Executed in 1883, Flowers in a Landscape relates to a series of floral watercolors that Henry Roderick Newman painted between 1875 and 1884. According to Newman scholar Royal W. Leith, "these pictures were among Newman’s most distinctive and prized works, particularly those depicting anemones” (A Quiet Devotion: The Life and Work of Henry Roderick Newman, New York, 1996, p. 24). The strong verticality of the present watercolor, which portrays five anemones against a lush landscape, is unique in relation to the other works from the series.
The artist initially explored the genre of flower-painting during his first few years with the American Pre-Raphaelites, a group of artists who drew significant inspiration from the writings of the English art critic and theoretician John Ruskin. Though the American Pre-Raphaelites disbanded before Newman reached the age of twenty-five, he remained committed to Ruskin’s ideals throughout his career. Working primarily in watercolor, Newman typically began his flowers en plein air before finishing them in the studio. In this practice, he adhered to the theories of Ruskin, his mentor and friend, who wrote: “I believe the most beautiful position in which flowers can possible be seen is precisely their most natural one—low flowers relieved by grass or moss, and tree blossoms relieved against the sky" (as quoted in Ibid.) Showcasing delicate, refined brushwork and subtle variations in tone and color, the present work is a distinguished example of Newman’s ability to convey the transcendent quality of nature and art, a central tenet of Ruskin’s philosophy.
The artist initially explored the genre of flower-painting during his first few years with the American Pre-Raphaelites, a group of artists who drew significant inspiration from the writings of the English art critic and theoretician John Ruskin. Though the American Pre-Raphaelites disbanded before Newman reached the age of twenty-five, he remained committed to Ruskin’s ideals throughout his career. Working primarily in watercolor, Newman typically began his flowers en plein air before finishing them in the studio. In this practice, he adhered to the theories of Ruskin, his mentor and friend, who wrote: “I believe the most beautiful position in which flowers can possible be seen is precisely their most natural one—low flowers relieved by grass or moss, and tree blossoms relieved against the sky" (as quoted in Ibid.) Showcasing delicate, refined brushwork and subtle variations in tone and color, the present work is a distinguished example of Newman’s ability to convey the transcendent quality of nature and art, a central tenet of Ruskin’s philosophy.