ICONIC WORKS PREMIER AUCTION SALE
Lot 144:
Description
John William Hill signed Watercolor of hudson river narrows by storm king and west point: 20"x 14" in a frame: 27.5"x 21.5". Painter and printmaker. Along with his father and son, also artists, he did much to popularize and sustain American interest in landscape art. Chiefly a watercolorist, he also recorded urban scenes, rural pursuits, and still lifes. Born in London, Hill emigrated as a child to Philadelphia. In 1822 the family moved to New York, where he became a capable engraver while working in his father’s shop. Most of his early work records city views or rural activity, such as scenes along the Erie Canal. In 1833 Hill visited London, and later he traveled widely in the United States. From 1836 he made his home in the area of the Hudson River town of Nyack. Between 1836 and 1841 he worked as a topographical artist for the New York State Geological Survey, and in the 1840s he visited many American cities to produce views for publication. After developing an interest around 1850 in the writings of English aesthetician John Ruskin, he more often turned to pure landscape or to still life. Subsequent vibrantly detailed, delicately stippled watercolors exemplify the skill, sensitivity, and reverence for nature associated with American Pre-Raphaelitism. Hill’s most innovative works blur the categories of landscape and still life by presenting in natural surroundings flowers, fruits, or other subjects normally associated with still life.
Condition: Commensurate with age. All lots are sold "AS IS" The condition of lots can vary widely and are unlikely to be in a perfect condition.
Share this lot:
