Winnipiscogee from Woolfboro, Septr. 8th, 1850. [drawing].

Author: Smith, William Thompson Russell, artist.
Title: Winnipiscogee from Woolfboro, Septr. 8th, 1850. [drawing].

Description: Sept. 8, 1850. Ink and pencil on wove paper, 8" x 12" (sheet size).

A fine view of Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, looking south from Wolfeboro, with a few sheep and trees in foreground, the lake at center with a single steamboat as well as a sailboat, mountain ranges, and the suggestion of clouds in background.

Russell Smith (1812-1896) was the patriarch of a family of celebrated Philadelphia artists which included his wife, Mary Priscilla Wilson Smith, his daughter, Mary Russell Smith, and his son Xanthus Smith. Russell was born in Scotland and acquired an affinity for painting during what was a sickly childhood. Throughout his life Russell worked in several subject areas, including theatre backdrops and as the official artist of several geological expeditions in the 1840s. His legacy, however, rests on his landscapes, which some have described as examples of "romantic realism." The term derives from Smith's ability to meld a picturesque reproduction of nature with what Xanthus called "a certain looseness of handling ... which conveys a happy impression which he endeavored to express upon his canvas."

This drawing is from a small archive of Smith family drawings, watercolors, and oil sketches in our inventory. The collection was acquired from a Smith descendant in Maine and includes works by Russell Smith, his wife, Mary Priscilla Wilson Smith, and their children Xanthus and Mary. The drawing is unsigned, but is unquestionably Russell's work.

CONDITION: Chipping and creasing on upper right corner, tack hole upper left corner, light toning.

Item #5708

Seller ID: 5708