Painted circa 1852, Fitz Henry Lane’s View of Camden Mountains from Penobscot Bay (est. $600/800,000), presents a different view of Maine. Between 1848 and his death in 1865, Lane made regular visits to Maine, where he stayed with the family of a close friend. Lane’s intimate knowledge of the state’s landscape led him to complete detailed compositions of the state’s myriad bays, islands, and peninsulas that dotted the coast, manipulating the striking atmospheric light of the summer months, especially during the sunrise and sunset. Lane based his finished oils such as View of Camden Mountains on sketches and studies completed while touring the area; the lack of foreground in many of his drawings suggests he completed them while on board a boat. View of Camden Mountains displays Lane’s careful draftsmanship, control of color values and strong silhouettes.
Mary Cassatt’s Mathilde Holding a Baby Who Reaches Out to Right was acquired by the present owner in 1964 and is also among the 19th century highlights in the sale (est. $700/900,000). Executed in 1890, the work is one of only a few
depictions of Cassatt’s loyal maid, Mathilde Valet. Cassatt discovered pastel with the help of her colleague Edgar Degas, and with the medium she was able to demonstrate her skills as an accomplished draftsman and colorist. In Mathilde
Holding a Baby, the artist deftly renders the flesh tones with layered pigments to create volume.
