Lot 4081: Marcus Mote (American, 1817-1898) View of West Point

View of West Point
oil on canvas
32in X 26in (81cm X 66cm)

PROVENANCE:
Private collection, Northern California

Marcus Mote (1817-1898) was born in Miami County, Ohio, the son of a Quaker cabinetmaker. His early career was as an itinerant portrait painter, supplemented with ornamental painting. In 1850 he opened a studio in Lebanon, Ohio, where he painted portraits, miniatures, landscapes, and produced daguerreotypes. He also taught painting and drawing. In 1853, he painted a panorama illustrating Harriet Beeches Stowe's" Uncle Tom's Cabin." The scrolling canvas, depicting forty scenes was unwound across the stage as the story was read.