July 14 & 15, 2020 Fine & Decorative Arts
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/14/2020
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Titian Peale became one of America's earliest and foremost animal painters and naturalist illustrators. As an expedition artist, his travels included the upper Mississippi River, Rocky Mountains, Florida and the northern regions of South America. From 1819 to 1820, he was Assistant Naturalist to Thomas Say on Major Stephen Long's topographical expedition to the Rocky Mountains. The specific goal was to find the source of the Platte River with a return through Arkansas and the Red Rivers to the Mississippi. Although they did not find the source of the Platte, the group was the first official party to climb Pike's Peak. His assignment was to collect and record specimens of birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and insects, and his Long Expedition sketches, numbering over one hundred, also included some landscapes and views of Indian life. He also became a skilled huntsman in addition to serving as recorder. Stephen Long's excursion, initially termed the Yellowstone Expedition, was an intrepid campaign across the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains. Long was the first military officer to bring with him leading scientific experts of the day from the fields of botany, geology, zoology, and cartography. Long eventually commanded five separate expeditions covering 25,000 miles with the resulting knowledge helping in the expansion of the upper American West. One of the interesting things about this painting is that Long's sword is shown out of the hilt, with the blueing and the gilt decoration evident, a presentation rarely seen. Exhibited: Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody Wyoming, 1994 Nebraska State Historic Society, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1994; St. Joseph Museum, St. Joseph, Missouri, 1995, Secretary of the Army's office on loan through the U.S. Army Center of Military History, Army Art Collection, Washington, D.C. , July 16, 2008 - June 26, 2009. Also, a rare two volume set of books were published from this expedition and are in the collection at the U.S. Army Heritage Center. Relined. Several generations of restoration generally to the sky with minor inpainting elsewhere.
This is not a standard shippable item and will require 3rd party shipping or pickup arrangements to be made.Item Dimensions: Frame: 36 - 1/2" x 31 - 1/2" x 5".
Artist
ATTRIBUTED TO TITAN PEALE (AMERICAN, 1799 - 1885).
Title
PORTRAIT OF MAJOR STEPHEN H. LONG ON THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN EXPEDITION (1819 - 1820).
Signature
Signed indistinctly lower right.