Oct 24, 2024 10:00 EST
American Paintings & Prints / American Furniture, Silver & Decorative Arts
428
Federal Inlaid Walnut Tall Case Clock
Western Pennsylvania, circa 1810
The hood with tombstone arched door opening to a white painted iron dial with floral spandrels and moon's age in the arch; above a waist with quarter-fan inlaid door flanked in by inlaid columns on a similar base and bracket. Height 9 feet 1/4 inches, width 20 3/4 inches, depth 11 inches.
Provenance:
Sotheby's Auction, Americana Heritage, January 27-30, 1982, lot 1042.
A hand-written letter, dated April 20, 1911, and signed by D. Leet Wilson of Pittsburgh, PA, affixed to the inside of the door indicates that the original owner of the clock was Major Daniel Leet, and the case was made by John Wilson from Wood Cut on Major Leet's Farm near Washington, Pennsylvania. Major Daniel Leet served under George Washington in the Revolutionary War.
Despite the claims made in the 1911 letter mentioned above, it is possible that the case for this clock was instead made by cabinetmaker John Brown of Wellsburg, West Virginia, an artisan identified in a 2019 MESDA journal article by Sumpter Priddy. Brown's cases, Priddy tells us, are characterized by "pediments with boldly shaped scrolls and ambitious parapets that project above the scrolls," as well as ambitious inlay schemes, sometimes including inlay purchased from shops in Baltimore, and often incorporating quarterfans and contrasting banding. Other characteristics include "molded arched glazed doors with keystones in the arches, ogee shaping at the rear of the hood, and canted corners."
It follows that Major Daniel Leet might have had access to the work of John Brown, since both Pittsburgh and Wellsburg are positioned on (and connected by) the Ohio River.
(1)
Sold for $9,600
Estimated at $800 - $1,200
Includes Buyer's Premium
The hood with tombstone arched door opening to a white painted iron dial with floral spandrels and moon's age in the arch; above a waist with quarter-fan inlaid door flanked in by inlaid columns on a similar base and bracket. Height 9 feet 1/4 inches, width 20 3/4 inches, depth 11 inches.
Provenance:
Sotheby's Auction, Americana Heritage, January 27-30, 1982, lot 1042.
A hand-written letter, dated April 20, 1911, and signed by D. Leet Wilson of Pittsburgh, PA, affixed to the inside of the door indicates that the original owner of the clock was Major Daniel Leet, and the case was made by John Wilson from Wood Cut on Major Leet's Farm near Washington, Pennsylvania. Major Daniel Leet served under George Washington in the Revolutionary War.
Despite the claims made in the 1911 letter mentioned above, it is possible that the case for this clock was instead made by cabinetmaker John Brown of Wellsburg, West Virginia, an artisan identified in a 2019 MESDA journal article by Sumpter Priddy. Brown's cases, Priddy tells us, are characterized by "pediments with boldly shaped scrolls and ambitious parapets that project above the scrolls," as well as ambitious inlay schemes, sometimes including inlay purchased from shops in Baltimore, and often incorporating quarterfans and contrasting banding. Other characteristics include "molded arched glazed doors with keystones in the arches, ogee shaping at the rear of the hood, and canted corners."
It follows that Major Daniel Leet might have had access to the work of John Brown, since both Pittsburgh and Wellsburg are positioned on (and connected by) the Ohio River.
(1)
American Furniture, Silver & Decorative Arts
sunfaded; two cast iron weights; missing inlay; cracks to veneer; with winder
Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact and our Organization shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. Please contact the specialist department to request further information or additional images that may be available.
Auction: American Paintings & Prints / American Furniture, Silver & Decorative Arts, Oct 24, 2024
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Auction of American Paintings & Prints on October 23, 2024 Saw Spirited Bidding
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Comprising Lots 1 - 175 in the Sale
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Highlights include a 1790 Portrait by Charles Willson Peale that Realized $44,800
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
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We Invite You to Contact Us for Complimentary Auction Estimates of Your Collection
NEW YORK, NY – Doyle's auction of American Paintings & Prints on October 23, 2024 saw strong prices for late 18th, 19th and 20th century works, including fine examples of portraiture; still lifes; nautical paintings and Hudson River, Western and regional landscapes.
Highlighting the sale was a 1790 portrait by Charles Willson Peale that realized $44,800. One of America's first great artists, Peale (1741-1827) served in the Continental Army, during which time he painted a number of miniatures of his fellow officers. He would go on to paint portraits of several of America’s Founding Fathers, including Jefferson, Hamilton, Franklin, and of course, Washington. Peale’s masterful portrait from 1790 of William Littleton Murray, who resided in the artist’s native Maryland, depicts the young man in a casual pose that exudes a confidence and optimism that reflects the mood of our nascent nation. The work descended in the family of the sitter and was offered publicly for the first time.
Another noteworthy portrait was Thomas Cowperthwaite Eakins' The Singer (Mrs. Liego) that achieved $38,400, many times its estimate of $5,000-8,000. Realist painter, photographer and influential fine art educator, Eakins (1844-1916) was a sought-after portraitist in his native Philadelphia, painting hundreds during his lifetime. Like the portrait by Peale, this work had descended in the family of the sitter.
Belgian/American artist Joseph John Paul Meert’s view of a Coal Yard soared past its estimate of $1,500-2,500 to achieve $21,760 – the second highest price for the artist at auction. Before he transitioned to Abstract art in the 1940s, Meert (1905-1990) painted a number of murals commissioned by the WPA, during which time he painted this work from 1937.
American Furniture, Silver & Decorative Arts
A second session of the sale on October 24 comprising lots 201 - 560 will offer American Furniture, Silver & Decorative Arts.
We Invite You to Auction!
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
For information, please contact:
Paintings: Bill Fiddler, 212-427-4141, ext. 249, paintings@Doyle.com
Prints: Cynthia Klein, 212-427-4141, ext. 246, prints@Doyle.com
