Apple Orchard

Charles Henry Eaton (American, 1850–1901)

This work is offered in a 19th-century Neoclassical giltwood frame with Greek key carving and husk garland ornament.

Charles Henry (Harry) Eaton was born in Akron, Ohio, but the Eaton family moved to Cleveland and finally to Detroit, Michigan. Largely self-taught, Eaton studied briefly with John Mix Stanley in Detroit. He had received an inheritance after the death of his father in 1869, which he poorly invested, and this is speculated to be the reason he formed a partnership with another student of Stanley’s, portraitist James F. Maxfield, in 1874. He remained in Detroit as a landscape painter until 1878, at which time he moved to Holly, Michigan. In 1880, another move found him in Chicago, Illinois, where he remained until 1882. Exploring other opportunities, Eaton moved to New York City, which was to be his home base for nearly 10 years. He never severed his ties with Detroit, having sent artwork to the Detroit Art Loan Exhibition in 1883. In fact, he visited Detroit every summer to sketch, and completed paintings from his sketches in his New York studio. He is known to have painted along the Detroit River, near Monroe, along Shiawassee River, also in Michigan, and Conesus Creek and Conesus Lake (westernmost Fingerlake), New York. Eaton made one last move to Leonia, New Jersey, in the 1890s. His painting style is reminiscent of the French Barbizon School. “Last Days of Summer” marvelously captures this lower-toned style. Eaton exhibited widely, including Exposition Universelle; World’s Columbian Exposition; American Water Color Society; Boston Art Club, Brooklyn Art Association; Lotos Club; National Academy of Design and the Western Art Association. Eaton was a member of the Salmagundi Club, the Boston Art Club, the Detroit Artists Association, the Western Art Association and the American Art Association. Eaton was elected to the National Academy of Design (1893), and was President at the time of his death in 1901. He was Secretary of the American Watercolor Society for 14 years and was President at the time of his death. Eaton exhibited at the Boston Art Club (1887, silver); American Art Association (1888, gold); American Watercolor Society (1898, Evans Prize); Philadelphia Art Club (1900, gold); Exposition Universelle, (Paris, 1889); World’s Columbian Exposition (Chicago, 1893); The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Signed C H AA Harry Eaton (lower right)