Pair of A.B. Frost Shooting Pictures Chromolithographs

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Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic

By Artemis Gallery

Sep 27, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-09-27 10:00:00 2018-09-27 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/antiquities-asian-ethnographic-3469
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• Lot Description
  A.B. (Arthur Burdett) Frost (American, 1851-1928), pair of original chromolithographs entitled, "Quail Shooting" and "Duck Shooting from a Blind" from A.B. Frost's portfolio "Shooting Pictures", published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1895 to 1896. A.B. Frost is among the most admired American sporting artists who rose to fame at the close of the 19th century. A sports enthusiast himself, Frost depicted a wide range of subjects including hunting, archery, fishing, and golf. Here we have two compositions that demonstrate Frost's penchant for capturing not only the activity of hunting but also the pastoral natural setting and mood. His details are so convincing and specific, of the type that could only be captured if equipped with an intimate knowledge of hunting and landscape. Size: each measures 19.25" W x 12.5" H (48.9 cm x 31.8 cm); 34.625" W x 27.875" H (87.9 cm x 70.8 cm) including framing
  
  Frost had made a name for himself by illustrating Joel Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus books about Brer Rabbit and other beloved characters, when Harper's Weekly published his American sporting imagery. As a means of more widely distributing Frost's masterful watercolors, Charles Scribner’s Sons published 12 chromolithographs including the pair featured here, during the years 1895 to 1896. Incredibly popular, they quickly became collector’s items. As stated by Henry M. Reed in The A.B. Frost Book when he spoke with a former Scribner’s employee, "He recalls Frost’s visits to the office, usually to pick up his royalty checks. He told me that Scribner’s had the complete set of originals for the shooting pictures framed and displayed along with a set of the prints similarly framed and displayed and if one backed away six or eight feet, you couldn’t tell which were the originals and which were the prints!"
  
  Frost came by his photorealistic portrayals of outdoor activities honestly. Working at the art department of Harper & Brothers, he worked with well-known artists such as Frederic Remington and C.S. Reinhart. He also learned quite a few techniques - ranging from more graphic approaches to photorealistic painting. Believe it or not, Frost was color blind; however, scholars believe that this actually enhanced his use of grayscale. Frost also studied with Thomas Eakins (master American realist painter, photographer, sculptor, and educator) and William Merrit Chase (a leader of the American Impressionist movement as well as a respected teacher) at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. In addition, Frost spent much time in the Rockport art colony, on the Eastern Shore of Cape Ann, Massachusetts. He also summered at Shinnecock Hills Summer School of Art, which was established by William Merritt Chase just west of Southampton, New York. Shinnecock Hills was perhaps the best known plein air summer art school in America during the late nineteenth century. In addition to Frost, it attracted Rockwell Kent, Lydia Field Emmet, and many others. These experiences no doubt informed his remarkably realistic depictions of outdoor sporting activities.
  
  Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
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  #134692

  Condition

  Minor toning. Minute stain to upper right corner of "Duck Shooting..." The pair are in handsome, matching mats and frames. The framing has been executed to full museum standards using the highest quality frames and mats. It also incorporates a very high level of craftsmanship with exceptional design choices.
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