JOHN HENRY HILL (American 1839-1922). Sunflower in a Landscape, 1895. Watercolor on paper. 14.25in. x 19.5in. (sight size). ...

Description

JOHN HENRY HILL (American 1839-1922)
Sunflower in a Landscape, 1895
Watercolor on paper
14.25in. x 19.5in. (sight size)
Signed and dated lower right: 1895 JHH

John Henry Hill, son of the artist John William Hill, was born in West Nyack, New York on April 28, 1839. He studied painting with his father, a devotee of the Ruskinian Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic of truth in nature.

Hill first exhibited at the National Academy of Design in 1856 and was elected an Associate two years later. He exhibited watercolors, aquatints, and etchings to the National Academy through 1891, while also exhibiting regularly at the Brooklyn Art Association from 1865 to 1885. Both he and his father were founding members of the Association for the Advancement of Truth in Art, and their work was praised in The New Path.

During 1864 and 1865, Hill spent about eight months in England studying the work of Turner. Upon his return, he went to Ashfield, Massachusetts, to join the American Pre-Raphaelite group that there. He soon after created 24 etchings meant to exemplify Ruskin's theories about the proper way to draw from nature, and published them in 1867 as Sketches from Nature. The following year, and again in 1870, he traveled to the West as a staff artist for a government surveying expedition headed by his friend and fellow Association member, geologist Clarence King.

In 1878 and 1879 Hill again visited England and the Continent, and at one point, followed an itinerary proposed by his friend, John Ruskin in a letter of March 26, 1879.

Hill first began to visit the Adirondack Mountains in the 1860s. He camped and sketched throughout the region, and from 1870 to 1874, lived in a cabin he called "Artist's Retreat" that he built on an island near Bolton's Landing, Lake George. With the death of his beloved father in September 1879, Hill returned home to West Nyack, where he continued to paint watercolors in his father's studio. In honor of his father, Hill published An Artist's Memorial in 1888, and he continued to promote his father's work and legacy by reproducing etchings, some of which he donated to The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

John Henry Hill's artwork is found in important public collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New-York Historical Society, Columbus Museum of Art, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Condition: lower right corner ripped, repaired rip top middle edge- otherwise good condition

*Heritage Auctions strives to provide as much information as possible but encourages in-person inspection by bidders. Statements regarding the condition of objects are only for general guidance and should not be relied upon as complete statements of fact, and do not constitute a representation, warranty or assumption of liability by Heritage. Some condition issues may not be noted in the condition report but are apparent in the provided photos which are considered part of the condition report. Please note that we do not de-frame lots estimated at $1,000 or less and may not be able to provide additional details for lots valued under $500. Heritage does not guarantee the condition of frames and shall not be liable for any damage/scratches to frames, glass/acrylic coverings, original boxes, display accessories, or art that has slipped in frames. All lots are sold "AS IS" under the Terms & Conditions of Auction.