SAMUEL COLMAN

(American, 1832-1920)

BOATS ALONG THE QUAY, 1883

Watercolor and Pencil on Paper

9 ¾ x 17 Inches
Signed and Dated Lower Right 'Sam Colman. 1883.'
Provenance: Private collection, Seattle, Washington

Born in Portland, Maine in 1832, Samuel Colman studied under Asher B. Durand in New York City. A child prodigy, he first exibited at the National Academy of Design at the age of eighteen and, two years later, was elected to full membership. From 1860 to 1862, he studied and painted in France, Italy, Spain and Morocco. Colman travelled widely throughout the United States and became one of the leading painters of the second generation of the Hudson River School. He was also the author of influential books on art theory (Nature's Harmonic Unity, 1912; Proportional Form, 1920). Colman's work is held in the permanent collections of major national museums including the National Museum of American Art (Washington D.C.) and the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA). Samuel Colman was a notable watercolorist and we are pleased to offer this exceptionally fine example of the artist's work, painted at the height of his career.

Reference:

Who Was Who in American Art, Falk, Vol. I, p. 701; 300 Years of American Art, Zellman, Vol. I, p. 251; Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs, Vol. III, p. 796-97; Thieme-Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Kunstler, Vol. VII/VIII, p. 243; Davenport’s Art Reference Guide, 2007/8 Edition, p. 560; AskArt.com; Artnet.com; Artfact.com; et al.