Lot 511: Walter Mason Oddie (American, 1808-1865), "Road

Walter Mason Oddie (American, 1808-1865), "Road Beside a Northern Lake", oil on canvas, signed and dated "1857" on portion of canvas now affixed to stretcher, 20 in. x 25 in., in a later giltwood frame.

Note: An Early Hudson River School Painter, Oddie was essentially a self-taught artist; what little formal training he had occurred fairly late in his career. His natural ability is evident in his sketchbooks, which reveal his general inclination towards depictions of various elements of the American landscape. These books also suggest that much of his work was initiated from nature. Oddie¹s preferred muted color palette of moss greens, golds, ochres, and sienna browns, combined with his picturesque approach to buildings, result in works which exude an overall feeling of harmony and peace. This is evident in the present lot where the mountains, water, and sky surround and protect the village. As a contemporary critic noted, "He seems to have a passion for the thousand quiet nooks...and he portrays nature as she appears in her everyday garb..." Oddie¹s exhibition debut was at the prestigious National Academy of Design in 1832; the following year he was made an Associate of the Academy. He later exhibited at the Apollo Association, American Art Union, Brooklyn Institute, Boston Atheneum, and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Reference: Blaugrund. "Mysterious Mr. O." American Art Journal, Vol. 12, No. 2 (Spring, 1980) pp. 60-77.