William D. Winstanley
Matched Pair of Paintings
"Picnic on the Shenandoah" 1794-95
Artist: William Winstanley, (British, active in America, early 1790's to 1806)
Origin: America
Oil on sheet iron or tin
Size: 10 x 14 1/8"
Artist: William Winstanley, (British, active in America, early 1790's to 1806)
Origin: America
Oil on sheet iron or tin
Size: 10 x 14 1/8"
"Picnic on the Shenandoah presents the viewer with a bright landscape lit by a glowing sun placed just above the horizon. In the right foreground several women and a man are gathered in the shade of a copse of trees atop a knoll. Two men exchange greetings in the middle foreground, while a short distance behind and below them another man approaches with a horse and mule laden with what appears to be picnic supplies. The river flows peacefully in the middle distance, and beyond it the landscape rolls upward to culminate in a horizon of misty, blue mountains."
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"View of the Potomac" 1794-95
Artist: William Winstanley, (British, active in America, early 1790's to 1806)
Origin: America
Oil on sheet iron or tin
Size: 10 1/16" x 14 1/16"
"View of the Potomac presents what may have been a picnic combined with a recurring chore. The scene is somewhat more intimate and enclosed than the one previous, and the artist's palette is somewhat darker as well. The overall effect is an idyllic scene suffused with a misty luminosity. On the left a man pulls a rowboat toward the bank of a calm inlet with the river in the middle distance behind. A man and a woman in intimate repose are seated in the boat. In the center appear three women and a child. Two of the women kneel, one in direct relation to the child, a girl. To the right of this group a varied selection of clothing hangs on a line stretched between a large tree and what appears to be a smaller trunk devoid of limbs or foilage. to the right of the clothesline two figures, probably mother and child, face away from the scene and the viewer. The woman carries a small bundle of clothing and holds the had of the little girl. Beyond the enclosing foilage on the right is visible a fortress type building of stone standing on the bank of the river.
It should be noted that the paintings function extremely well as a pair. In terms of basic composition both are quite similar as regards masses of color, horizon height, and the elevation of the sun in relation to the horizon. The viewer's perspective, while a bit higher in the Shenandoah scene, is basically the same in both works. All of the aforementioned technical aspects serve to substantiate the fact that the paintings were intended as a pair."
William Winstanley was one of the earliest landscape painters in America and was active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Winstanley came to America from England sometime before April 1793. George Washington, then President, bought two Hudson River paintings. "Morning, Hudson River", and "Evening, Hudson River" and are in the collection of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, Virginia. Washington also purchased other scenes of the Potomac River from Winstanley.
It should be noted that the paintings function extremely well as a pair. In terms of basic composition both are quite similar as regards masses of color, horizon height, and the elevation of the sun in relation to the horizon. The viewer's perspective, while a bit higher in the Shenandoah scene, is basically the same in both works. All of the aforementioned technical aspects serve to substantiate the fact that the paintings were intended as a pair."
William Winstanley was one of the earliest landscape painters in America and was active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Winstanley came to America from England sometime before April 1793. George Washington, then President, bought two Hudson River paintings. "Morning, Hudson River", and "Evening, Hudson River" and are in the collection of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, Virginia. Washington also purchased other scenes of the Potomac River from Winstanley.
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Amelung Style Firing Glass
Thick facetted stem resting on a circular terraced foot. Engraved with the letters G W in the form of barley stalks. Tears (bubbles) in stem.
Origin: American or English
ca: Late 18th Century
Thick facetted stem resting on a circular terraced foot. Engraved with the letters G W in the form of barley stalks. Tears (bubbles) in stem.
Origin: American or English
ca: Late 18th Century
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Rare Pillar-and-Scroll Shelf Clock With Off-Center Movement
Plymouth, Connecticut, 19th century
Mahogany case with original scrolled pediment and skirt, glazed door with eglomise plate depicting a coastal scene, wooden dial with floral and gilt spandrels, wooden works, interior with paper label for Seth Thomas, with two weights, pendulum drop,
30 1/4 x 7 1/4 x 4 1/2 in.
Price: $2,500
Plymouth, Connecticut, 19th century
Mahogany case with original scrolled pediment and skirt, glazed door with eglomise plate depicting a coastal scene, wooden dial with floral and gilt spandrels, wooden works, interior with paper label for Seth Thomas, with two weights, pendulum drop,
30 1/4 x 7 1/4 x 4 1/2 in.
Price: $2,500
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