Eastman Johnson
Mount Vernon in 1857
Eastman Johnson
1824 - 1906
Mount Vernon in 1857
initialed E.J. (lower right) and dated 1858. (lower left)
oil on board
board: 12 ½ by 19 ½ inches (31.8 by 49.5 cm)
framed: 17 by 24 inches (43.2 by 61 cm)
This work is recorded as number 6.0.2 in the catalogue raisonné of Eastman Johnson's work compiled by Dr. Patricia Hills. It can be accessed at www.eastmanjohnson.org.
The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc., New York, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's:
This work on textured board is restored. The board is flat. The paint layer is stable, clean and varnished. Under ultraviolet light, dots of retouching are visible in the sky which correspond to very small retouches aimed at reducing the very rough texture here. There are a few spots in the trees in the upper right and in one of the vertical posts of the gate on the far left. The work is in very good condition and could be hung in its current state.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.
Mrs. Eastman Johnson, New York, 1906 (his wife, by descent; sold: American Art Association, New York, Finished Pictures, Studies, and Drawings by the Late Eastman Johnson, February 27, 1907, lot 34)
Ehrich Galleries, New York, by 1936
Mrs. Montgomery Murray, Long Island, New York, by 1939 (sold: Coleman Auction Rooms, New York, December 9, 1939)
Private collection, New Hyde Park, New York, by 1979
By descent to the present owner
The present work was created by Eastman Johnson created the present work during his visit to George Washington’s former estate in Mount Vernon, Virginia, in 1857. It relates to a companion piece painted that same year, Scene Associated with Mount Vernon (Lot 20), also offered for sale in this auction. According to Dr. Patricia Hills’ catalogue raisonné entry for the present work, the scene depicted was “long believed to be a view of the porter’s lodges erected by Bushrod Washington at the west gate entrance to the estate.” While neither Scene Associated with Mount Vernon (Lot 20) nor the present work are recognizable structures on the estate today the catalogue entry provided by the artist’s wife and published in the artist’s estate sale catalogue in 1907 explains, “This is a study of a broad, grass-grown road at the back of the Mount Vernon mansion, made before the modern improvements were undertaken. On the left is a tall gateway at the corner of a field, and on the right, beyond a characteristic Virginia rail fence, is seen a field of ripe Indian corn, with two buildings in sunlight under great overhanging trees, one of which rises out of the picture. A few clouds drift low in the simple summer sky, and the landscape is in a strong sunlight effect.”