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Lot 188: Nicholas Brewer "Aliso Canyon, California" Painting

Est: $10,000 USD - $15,000 USDSold:
Revere AuctionsSt Paul, MN, USFebruary 10, 2021

Item Overview

Description


Nicholas Brewer (American, 1857-1949). Oil on canvas titled "Aliso Canyon, California," depicting a dramatic scene of Aliso Canyon in Laguna Beach, California, 1921. Signed along the lower right; further signed, titled, and dated along the verso.

With three books and a copy of a newspaper article regarding Nicholas Brewer: "The Art of Nicholas Richard Brewer" from the Gallery of The Woman's College Library at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, April 7th to 21st, 1932; Nicholas Brewer's autobiography "Trails of a Paintbrush," Boston: The Christopher Publishing House, 1938; and Julie L'Enfant "Nicholas R. Brewer: His Art and Family," Inver Grove Heights: Afton Press, 2018; Newspaper article titled "Art Institute Buys Picture from Brewer" The Decatur Herald, Decatur, Illinois, May 1, 1922.

Lot Essay:
Born in a log cabin in Minnesota in 1857, Nicholas Brewer’s work typifies his frontier spirit and love for the American landscape. He grew up on a farm, where his days were defined by hard work, but he still found the time to draw and paint in between chores. At the age of 18, he moved to St. Paul. He received some art training there from Henry Koempel, a local painter and decorator, and ended up marrying Koempel’s daughter. He eked out a living for his swiftly growing family through portrait commissions and teaching.

In 1885, Brewer first traveled to New York, determined to make it as a serious artist. He received a small amount of training there; however, he remained primarily self-taught. He began receiving some success in New York, and continued spending winters there for much of his career. His work was included in several exhibitions, and he was inducted into the illustrious Salmagundi Club. In his later career, he traveled the United States, giving traveling lectures and exhibitions, as well as taking portrait commissions wherever he went. During one productive visit to Washington D.C., Brewer even painted a portrait of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

The main reason for his travels, though, was his love of the American landscape. Although Brewer was never able to fully make a living by landscape painting, it remained his true passion. His agrarian upbringing left him with a sense of reverence for the earth, and he delighted in experimenting with colors and textures to best capture the mood of a landscape. He paid particular heed to the flora he passed by, from the solemn Minnesota prairie grasses to southern blue bonnets to the tiny patches of scrub grass clinging to vertiginous California cliffs. His paintings rarely depict specific places; Brewer instead preferred to paint landscapes that he felt represented an ideal, more the spirit than the actuality of a location. Nevertheless, his travels provided him with a rich backdrop upon which to base his works.

In 1921, Brewer made a trip to California to paint. While there, he befriended a number of fellow artists working there, whom he found delightfully open and welcoming. Among these were Jack Smith (1873-1949), best known for his landscapes and seascapes of the American west. Smith invited Brewer to come stay with him in Laguna Beach, where they spent several weeks painting what Brewer calls in his autobiography “the marvelous coast with its rocky cliffs.” During this trip, they made several trips to Aliso Canyon in the San Joaquin Hills. It is clear that Brewer was impressed by the grandiosity of the canyon. His choice of vantage point for this painting--positioned at the bottom of the canyon, looking up--emphasizes the tremendous size of the canyon. Positioning the viewer within the landscape in such a tangible way enables the viewer to experience the wonder Brewer must have felt being dwarfed by this geological landmark. The grove of trees in the lower left of the composition provide scale, further reinforcing how small a visitor to the land must feel.

The influence of Brewer’s new friend and fellow artist William Wendt (1865-1946) is evident in the way Brewer captures the form of the land. Wendt is best known for his preoccupation with the land itself, through its geographic features and topography. This attitude is noticeable in Brewer’s handling of the canyon. The texture and outcrops in the rocky walls of the canyon are highlighted with sun and shade, and emphasized with pastel-colored patches of wildflowers. The thick impasto used on these flowered areas further accentuates the bouldered surface of the canyon walls. The creek flows along the base of the canyon, so subtly rendered it is barely noticeable save for the area of reflecting sunlight just downstream from the trees. The creek itself primarily serves as a border for the canyon, once again drawing attention to the topography by providing contrast to the curves and caves along the bottom of the cliff wall.

In 1922, Aliso Canyon, California was exhibited at the Decatur Institute of Civic Arts in Decatur, Illinois, as part of a Brewer solo exhibition. The Institute then purchased the painting for its permanent collection. A contemporary newspaper article in The Decatur Herald discussing the sale provided a glowing review of the piece: “The Aliso Canyon [Aliso Canyon, California] is looked upon as the best painting in the collection shown by Mr. Brewer and he was frankly rather loath to sell it. [...] It was painted by Mr. Brewer when he was in California last summer and carries in it not only the distance and coloring but seemingly also the very atmosphere of that land of sunshine.” It was later included in “The Art of Nicholas Richard Brewer,” an exhibition put on by the Gallery of the Woman’s College Library at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, from April 7 to 21, 1932.
Unframed; height: 34 in x width: 44 1/4 in. Framed; height: 40 in x width: 49 3/4 in.

Dimensions

Unframed; height: 34 in x width: 44 1/4 in. Framed; height: 40 in x width: 49 3/4 in.

Condition Report

The painting is in good condition. There are no losses. Craquelure to the surface throughout, most visible in the sky. When inspected under UV, there are no visible areas of inpainting or restoration. There are several areas of discoloration to the verso. A layer of wax has been applied along the verso to support the canvas. The frame is in good condition overall with many hairline cracks to the gilding.

Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Please note that the lack of a condition statement does not imply perfect condition. Email condition@revereauctions.com with any condition questions.

Payment & Shipping

Payment

Accepted forms of payment: American Express, COD (cash on delivery), Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Revere Auctions does NOT offer in-house shipping.

As a convenience to the Buyer, Revere Auctions will make a referral for packing and shipping. This is at the request, expense, and risk of the Buyer, and Revere Auctions assumes no responsibility for the items or the timing of delivery. Insurance for in transit items is the responsibility of the buyer. The buyer must reach out to a shipping company to arrange shipping.

The buyer must fill out the Shipping Release Form in order for their items to be released. This is to ensure that the won item(s) are given to the proper shipping company and reach their final destination safely. This form can be found here: https://www.revereauctions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ShippingRelease.pdf

Here is a list of our preferred shippers:

UPS Store #2105
Contact: Ryan Wilson
Email: store2105@theupsstore.com
Phone: 651-642-5972

UPS Store #5396
Contact: Finley
Email: store5396@theupsstore.com
Phone: 612-332-4117

UPS Store #1782
Contact: Lu and Andy
Email: store1782@theupsstore.com
Phone: 651-222-1807

UPS Store #2158
Contact: Ali
email: store2158@theupsstore.com
phone: 651-635-0636

Museum Services Inc
For shipping estimate please complete the following link:
http://museumservices.org/revere

Auction Details

Fine & Decorative Art

by
Revere Auctions
February 10, 2021, 10:00 AM CST

755 Prior Ave N #235C, St Paul, MN, 55104, US

Terms

Buyer's Premium

28.0%

Bidding Increments

From:To:Increment:
$0$499$20
$500$1,999$50
$2,000$4,999$100
$5,000$9,999$500
$10,000$19,999$1,000
$20,000$49,999$2,000
$50,000$99,999$5,000
$100,000+$10,000

Condition of Sale

The following Conditions of Sale and Terms of Guarantee constitute the entire agreement with the purchaser relative to the property listed by Revere Auctions LLC. Hereinafter, Revere Auctions LLC is referred to Revere Auctions.

Revere Auctions acts as owner or as an agent for various owners and consignors. Revere Auctions reserves the right to change the terms of sale by oral announcement. Any such change shall become part of the Condition of Sale. By bidding at auction (whether present in person, by agent, by telephone, by absentee bid instruction, or though a live internet bidding platform) you agree to be bound by these terms.

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Prospective buyers are strongly advised to personally examine any property in
which they are interested in before the auction takes place. Condition reports are
usually available on request, on lots with a low estimate of $500 and above.

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Shipping
As a convenience to the Buyer, Revere Auctions will make a referral for packing and shipping. This is at the request, expense, and risk of the Buyer, and Revere Auctions assumes no responsibility for the items or the timing of delivery. Insurance for in transit items is the responsibility of the buyer.


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The rights and obligations of the parties with respect to these Conditions of Sale, the conduct of the auction and any matters connected with any of the foregoing shall be governed and interpreted by the laws of the jurisdiction in Minnesota. If any part of these Conditions of Sale is found by any court to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that part shall be discounted and the rest of the conditions shall continue to be valid to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Shipping Terms
Revere Auctions does NOT offer in-house shipping. All items must be paid for and a shipping release must be completed and returned to Revere Auctions before they can be released. As a convenience to the Buyer, Revere Auctions will make a referral for packing and shipping. This is at the request, expense, and risk of the Buyer, and Revere Auctions assumes no responsibility for the items or the timing of delivery. Insurance for in transit items is the responsibility of the buyer.


Payment

Accepted Forms of Payment: American Express, COD (cash on delivery), Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer.

Revere Auctions accepts wire transfers, checks (personal or business check in US dollars certified by a US bank, a cashier's/banker's check drawn on a US bank or US money order), cash (US currency not to exceed $10,000 in a single or multiple related payments). Visa, Discover, American Express or MasterCard may be used and are subject to a 3.0% convenience fee and are limited to purchases of $5,000.00 (total). Credit Card payments for jewelry and gold are NOT accepted. The purchaser's obligation to pay immediately the full purchase price is absolute and unconditional and is not subject to any defenses, setoffs or counterclaims of any kind whatsoever. Revere Auctions is not obligated to release a lot to the purchaser until title to the lot has passed. The purchaser agrees to pay Revere Auctions handling charge of $30 for any check dishonored by the drawee.

Shipping Terms

Revere Auctions does NOT offer in-house shipping.

As a convenience to the Buyer, Revere Auctions will make a referral for packing and shipping. This is at the request, expense, and risk of the Buyer, and Revere Auctions assumes no responsibility for the items or the timing of delivery. Insurance for in transit items is the responsibility of the buyer. The buyer must reach out to a shipping company to arrange shipping.

The buyer must fill out the Shipping Release Form in order for their items to be released. This is to ensure that the won item(s) are given to the proper shipping company and reach their final destination safely. This form can be found here: https://www.revereauctions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ShippingRelease.pdf

Here is a list of our preferred shippers:

UPS Store #2105
Contact: Ryan Wilson
Email: store2105@theupsstore.com
Phone: 651-642-5972

UPS Store #5396
Contact: Finley
Email: store5396@theupsstore.com
Phone: 612-332-4117

UPS Store #1782
Contact: Lu and Andy
Email: store1782@theupsstore.com
Phone: 651-222-1807

UPS Store #2158
Contact: Ali
email: store2158@theupsstore.com
phone: 651-635-0636

Museum Services Inc
For shipping estimate please complete the following link:
http://museumservices.org/revere