?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 5,000 - $ 8,000
JOHN LA FARGE Samoan Girls Dancing the Seated Siva Dance with Pantomime and Song, Night Effect, Samoa, 1890.
Brush and ink and wash on paper, circa 1895. 330x350 mm; 13x13 3/4 inches. Signed in pencil, lower right recto, and titled in pencil, lower center margin. With the artist's red ink stamp (Lugt 2976a, lower center recto).
According to Dr. James L. Yarnall, "This is one of several sepia copies of South Sea watercolors that La Farge prepared for use by Cecilia Waern around 1895 in her biography of the artist. Unlike the other sepia copies, it ultimately was not used by Waern, who instead reproduced the original watercolor (now in a private collection)."
Provenance: Doll and Richards, Boston, 1902-1904; Macbeth Gallery, New York, 1907; the artist's estate, New York, 1910-1911; sold American Art Association, New York, March 29-31, 1911, lot 845; A.B. Springarn, New York, 1911-1966; John B. Lehman, New York, from 1966; private collection, New York; sold Swann Galleries, New York, June 4, 2015, sale 2386, lot 20, to private collection, Connecticut; private collection, New York.
Exhibited: Century Association, New York, December 3, 1898, number 15; "Exhibition and Private Sale of Water Color Paintings by Mr. John La Farge, Mr. Childe Hassam, Miss Lucy S. Conant," Doll and Richards, Boston, November 1902, number 15; "Exhibition of Pictures by John La Farge," Macbeth Gallery, New York, November 27-December 12, 1907, number 7; "Exhibition of Glass, Oil and Water Color Paintings and Sketches by John La Farge, N.A.," Knoedler and Co., New York, February 15-31, 1909, number 31; "John La Farge," Graham Gallery, New York, May 4-June 10, 1966, number 44; "Exhibition of Paintings, Watercolors, and Drawings by John La Farge from His Travels in the South Seas, 1890-1891," Peabody Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, February 1-May 1, 1978, number 14.
Published: "La Farge in Retrospect," New York Times, December 6, 1907, page 5; "La Farge Sale Total $28,492. A Crayon Drawing by Artist, Made in Samoa, Brings $155," New York Times, April 1, 1911, page 13; Henry A. La Farge, "John La Farge: A Reappraisal," Art News, volume 65.0 (May 1966), page 30.
