Seymour Guy

George Whitney, Philadelphia

The American Art Galleries, New York, 18 December 1885, lot 170

T.O. Bullock (acquired at the above sale)

Private Collection, Philadelphia

Acquired by descent from the above in 1978 by the present owner

"The Whitney Pictures" The New York Times, 13 December 1885, p. 9

Exh. Cat., New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tokens of Friendship: Minitature Watercolors by William T. Richards from the Richard and Gloria Manney Collection, 1982, p. 106

A leading American genre scene painter of the nineteenth century, Seymour Guy specialized primarily in portrayals of children and domestic interiors and became known for his meticulous detail, smooth finish, and precise gradations of light and shadow. Guy noted, “I ‘paint’ up a simple story, trying to get as much beauty as possible from color, light, and shade—as much beauty of every sort as it will admit” (George W. Sheldon, American Painters, New York, 1881, p. 68).

In the present work, Guy depicts a barefoot boy bending down to blow on the embers of a small fire, resulting in a spark casting a powerful red-orange glow that illuminates the figure’s face. To the left, besides the boy, a collection of potatoes spill from his hat and onto the ground. Guy likely painted the present lot in the fall of 1870 while working in his New York studio after spending a summer with his family in Fort Lee.

At the time of the work’s execution, homeless children were a usual sight in New York City, with thousands populating the city streets. The general perception was that left on the streets, the development of these kids was halted and they were not set up to become active or useful citizens. Guy’s picture rejects such stereotypes, portraying the boy such that he emphasizes his resourceful and self-reliant nature as he prepares a fire for warmth and his meal.

One of Guy’s few extant urban scenes, Preparing for a Roast reflects the artist’s technical mastery and precision in creating simply elegant scenes showing life in late nineteenth century New York.