Lot 408: Joseph Dwight Strong (American/Hawaii, 1852-1899),

Joseph Dwight Strong (American/Hawaii, 1852-1899), "Sunset Along River", oil on canvas, signed lower right, label reading "Babcock Galleries, New York" en verso, 11 1/2 in. x 15 3/4 in., in an antique gilt frame. Note: Although he was born in Connecticut, Joseph Strong was educated on the West Coast at the California School of Design. Throughout his life he resided in such exotic locales as Hawaii and Samoa, in addition to several locales in the state of California. Strong was married to Robert Louis Stevenson's stepdaughter, Isobel Osbourne, in 1879, although the marriage was rocky and eventually ended in divorce. Throughout this time, he was sought after as a portraitist, although he also painted many landscapes. However, both his portraits and landscapes are now considered rare, and this work, most likely an example of a California scene, is an uncommon example of Strong's early work.