- More
Charles Ethan Porter (American, 1847-1923). Floral Still Life. Oil on canvas. 24 x 20 inches (61.0 x 50.8 cm). Signed lo...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
$78,000 or more
View Recent Offers on Sold Items in this category
Description
Charles Ethan Porter (American, 1847-1923)Floral Still Life
Oil on canvas
24 x 20 inches (61.0 x 50.8 cm)
Signed lower right: C.E. Porter
Property of a Distinguished New York Collector
PROVENANCE:
Richard Smith, Rhode Island;
Acquired by the present owner from the above.
EXHIBITED:
Mason Fine Art, Atlanta, Georgia.
The son of a poor and illiterate laborer, Charles Ethan Porter became one of the first, if not the first, African-American artists to study at the National Academy of Design in New York. Porter's still life paintings, as evidenced by Floral Still Life and Still Life with Roses, embrace a soft, lush quality that differentiates them from many other American still life paintings of the nineteenth century, which are often characterized by a virtuosic but harder-edged technique. Porter's work embodies a soft focus while capturing a naturalistic immediacy, qualities apparent also in his landscapes.
Porter's work was enthusiastically received in the press and by his colleagues and students. He was a much-admired teacher to aspiring artists, and counted among his friends and patrons artist Frederic Edwin Church and writer Mark Twain. Thanks to the sponsorship of Mark Twain, Porter was able to travel to Paris in 1881-84, where he came under a variety of influences and was able to reach the heights of his ability. With the support of his friends and patrons, the artist went on to become a charter member of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, exhibiting at the National Academy of Design, the American Society of Painters in Watercolor, and the Hartford Decorative Art Society.
Although Porter's personal life is rather obscure and undocumented, it is evident that he encountered racism regularly, and with increasing intensity. Porter was acclaimed by the press and was awarded important prizes, but after settling in Hartford, Connecticut, his race began to result in social isolation.
A Bavarian artist who shared his studio, Gustave Hoffman, had to sell Porters paintings door to door because no one would buy the work of a Black man. It is said that a significant part of his output in these years still hang unrecognized on the walls of Hartford homes. By the time of his death in 1923, racism had cast him into complete obscurity, and it was only very recently that he is once again recognized as one of the country's outstanding late nineteenth-century artists.
Framed Dimensions 31 X 27 Inches
Auction Info
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% on the first $300,000 (minimum $49), plus 20% of any amount between $300,000 and $3,000,000, plus 12.5% of any amount over $3,000,000 per lot.
Calculate Custom Domestic Shipping Sales Tax information
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Floor auctions
Open for bidding: (View All)US Coins
Ends on 01/23/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 01/23/2021
Currency
Ends on 01/23/2021
Currency
Ends on 01/23/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 01/24/2021
Currency
Ends on 01/24/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 01/28/2021
US Coins
Ends on 01/29/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 02/03/2021
Sports Collectibles
Ends on 02/04/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Ends on 02/05/2021
Luxury Accessories
Ends on 02/07/2021
US Coins
Ends on 02/09/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 02/10/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 02/11/2021
Currency
Ends on 02/11/2021
US Coins
Ends on 02/15/2021
US Coins
Ends on 02/22/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 01/27/2021
US Coins
Opens about 01/29/2021
Currency
Opens about 01/25/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/03/2021
Photography
Opens about 02/03/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/05/2021
Historical
Opens about 02/08/2021
Sports Collectibles
Opens about 02/05/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Opens about 01/31/2021
Currency
Opens about 02/01/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/10/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/11/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 02/19/2021
US Coins
Opens about 02/08/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/18/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 02/18/2021
Western & Texas Art
Opens about 02/19/2021
Comics & Comic Art
Opens about 02/19/2021
US Coins
Opens about 02/12/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 02/23/2021
US Coins
Opens about 02/26/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/24/2021
Nature & Science
Opens about 02/26/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Opens about 02/21/2021
US Coins
Opens about 02/15/2021
Luxury Real Estate
Opens about 01/22/2021
Heritage membership
- Past Auction Values (prices, photos, full descriptions, etc.)
- Bid online
- Free Collector newsletter
- Want List with instant e-mail notifications
- Reduced auction commissions when you resell your
winnings
- Cash Advances
- More Bidders
- Trusted Experts
- Over 200,000 Satisfied Consignors Since 1976
Learn about consigning with us
In my estimation Taylor exemplified professionalism and in that respect clearly added value to Heritage Auctions as their representative.View More Testimonials
HA.com receives more traffic than any other auction house website. (Source: Similarweb.com)
Video tutorial
Getting the most out of search