Inventory

Washington And His Family 1864

Engraving after a painting by Christian Schussele
(1824-1879)

Washington And His Family
(title along bottom margin)

Inscribed on lower margin:

Engraved According to an Act of Congress in the Year 1864 by C. Schussele in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of the State of Pennsylvania. Bradley & Co. Publishers 66 Nth 4th St. Philadelphia

Lower right: Engraved by Wm Sartain, Phila.
PROOF printed by Irwin & Sartain, Phila.

The image measures 17" x 24" and it appears to have its full margins, although they have some tears and stains. The image itself is pristine. It is housed in a contemporary black wood frame.

Christian Schussele was born in Alsace Lorraine and studied with Paul Delaroche and Adolphe Yvon in Paris from 1842-1848. He then emigrated to the United States where he became a prominent color lithographer, and later a painter of some renown. He was elected to the chair of painting and drawing at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1868, a post he held until his death.

As a painter, Schussele specialized in historical vignettes, many of which were engraved by Sartain and others, thus making them well-known images to 19th century Americans.
His paintings are in a dozen prominent museums.

Print proofs are sought after for the unique version of the image and the fresh, crispness of an early impression.

By the River ca. 1920

Francis Luis Mora
(1874-1940)

Unfinished Sketch
Estate Stamped on Lower Right and Verso
Charcoal, gouache, watercolor on paper

13 ¾” x 21 ¼”
23” x 28” framed
Early 20th c. Newcomb-Macklin Frame

The subject matter and the languid figurative style of this unfinished work are typical of Francis Mora. Four figures relax along the bank of a river during the summer, drawing, relaxing, and otherwise partaking in common leisure activities.

Mora and his wife bought 28 acres of land in Gaylordsville, CT in 1912. Mora loved painting their Connecticut guests almost as much as rendering the beauty of the landscape itself. While the work remains undated, according to the forthcoming book by Lynne Baron, it was most likely done on the Shrewsbury River in New Jersey, ca. 1900. Luis’ wife, Sonia, is on the left. Her sister, Lola, is likely one of the other women. Please see, F. Luis Mora, America's First Hispanic Master [1874-1940] by Lynne Pauls Baron. Edited by Peter Hastings Falk. Preface by M. Elizabeth Boone, Ph.D.; Introduction by Laurene Buckley, Ph.D. To be released in early 2008.

Francis Luis Mora was the son of Domingo Mora, a sculptor from Uruguay. The Moras came to the United States when Francis Luis, always referred to as Luis, was six. While Mora did study under his father, he also attended the Boston Museum of Fine Arts School, as well as the Art Students League. Mora emerged as a painter, illustrator, and muralist, and was selling illustrations for periodicals by the age of 18. He was also an established teacher; in 1904 he taught with Robert Henri at W.M. Chase’s school in Shinnecock, Long Island. He was elected a National Academician in 1906.

In 1910, Mora wrote, “I am very much interested in painting numerous little pictures of every day out-door life.” He became known for his landscapes, floral motifs, and scenes of figures in repose that illustrate common, everyday activities. Picnics, especially, were a favorite choice of subject matter.

Mora enjoyed a significant reputation during his lifetime. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has nine of his works, including four paintings, four drawings, and a watercolor. Mora also painted a portrait of President Harding, which remains in the White House today. His work is also in the The Newark Museum, The Yale University Art Gallery, The New York Historical Society and The Smithsonian Museum of American Art, among other collections.

In 2005 he was the subject of a major exhibition at ACA Galleries: Francis Luis Mora: A Legacy Remembered.

This painting is housed in an early 20th c. Newcomb-Macklin frame.