HOMER WINSLOW Autograph Letter Signed

Sale 1912 - Lot 16

Price Realized: $ 10,925

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 6,000 - $ 8,000

WITH A FULL-PAGE DRAWING<\t>HOMER, WINSLOW. Autograph Letter Signed, to collector Thomas B. Clarke, informing him that he is sending his painting "The Lookout -- All's Well" to John LaFarge, commenting that he thinks it will be misunderstood, describing another new painting of a coast scene which he had sent to the Rhode Island School of Design, and disagreeing with Clarke's suggestion to hold an exhibition exclusively of his work. With a 1x1-inch drawing of "The Lookout" on page one, and a captioned 4x3-inch drawing of it in red pencil on the last page signed "W. H." at the bottom of the image. 6 pages on five 8vo sheets, ruled paper; a bit toned, remnants of prior mounting on verso of last leaf, minor paper clip mark to first page.<\t>Np, 14 March 1897

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" . . . I have a letter & telegram from Mr. LaFarge asking for one or more pictures. By good luck I happen to have one that I have not shown & have ordered it sent to N.Y. The title is 'The Lookout' A moonlight at sea. You will be interested in it as it will be so unexpected and strange. It was one of the two that I was to send to Pittsburgh but I concluded it would not be understood by any but myself & so I only sent one and kept this, in doubt, if I would show it anywhere but I sent it recently to Doll & Richards in Boston for them to show it privately to some Cunarder people and to find out if it was good for anything and could be understood. They report that 'They greatly admire it.' So I send it to LaFarge for his exhibition . . . I have another new picture now at the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence. I sent it to them for the opening of their new Gallery. I have written Mr. LaFarge that he can have that early in April. You will like it much. 'A coast scene'. The same old story only much better. You mention the idea of a group of my work. That is something in this connection that must be postponed for at least ten years and due notice given me . . ."
Homer exhibited his oil painting "The Lookout - All's Well" at the 1897 Exhibition of the Society of American Artists and later sold it to Clarke. The coast scene to which he refers is his well-known more abstract masterpiece "Maine Coast" (Cikovski 195), which he also sold to Clarke. This letter is quoted in Cikovski pages 250 and 334.<