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Description: James Carroll Beckwith
American, 1852-1917
The Old Pier Glass, circa 1900
Signed Carroll Beckwith (ur); inscribed Carroll Beckwith/58 W. 57th St./New York/July 1901 and titled on an old label affixed to the reverse
Oil on panel
14 1/4 x 10 3/4 inches

Exhibited:
New York, The Anderson Galleries, February, 1912

James Carroll Beckwith is highly regarded for his portraits and genre paintings. Born in Missouri in 1852, he began his artistic studies in Chicago, and moved to New York City in 1871 to study painting at the National Academy of Design. He taught for many years at the Art Students League, where he was a very popular teacher. In 1873 he went to Paris to study with Emile Auguste Carolus-Duran, as well as at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. While in Paris he formed an enduring friendship with John Singer Sargent, with whom he shared a studio.

In a review of an upcoming sale at The Anderson Galleries, an unidentified writer praised The Old Pier Glass as "a fine example. The nude back of a woman seated before the mirror, with uplifted arms arranging her hair, is modeled with refinement and strength, showing in its firm execution and agreeable color the artist's best qualities." [The New York Times, February 25, 1912, p. 10.]

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Condition: Frame rubbing. Superficial scratch approx. 2 1/2'''' wide, 3 1/4'''' from lower edge. Screening varnish makes it difficult to detect any restoration.


Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Doyle New York shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.