.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Severin Roesen’s iconic still-life paintings of the 19th century define Victorian maximalism, exuding a sense of American abundance and, by extension, American optimism. The largest example ever to come to market, Summer’s Bounty provides a wealth of Roesen’s most celebrated motifs—from luscious grape vines and overflowing bowls of fruit, to rarer and more highly prized elements such as sparkling champagne and ethereal birds. The lavish combination of these elements, particularly in this impressive quantity, place Summer’s Bounty among the artist’s great masterworks.
Roesen immigrated to the United States in 1848, first settling in New York City and eventually in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in the early 1860s. The booming lumber industry turned Williamsport into a rapidly growing and financially healthy rural community, sophisticated and cosmopolitan enough to support artists like Roesen. Wealthy patrons acquired his lush still lifes, which mirrored the bounty of the American landscape that provided them such prosperity. Indeed, much of the American art produced in this period, from still lifes to the glorious landscapes of the Hudson River School, reflected the nation’s general sense of strength and optimism and contributed to a collective national pride.
Formerly a painter of decorative arts, Roesen’s working process included repeating motifs throughout many of his floral and fruit still lifes and adding in special elements depending on the scale or orientation of his work. Summer’s Bounty incorporates many hallmarks of Roesen’s signature style, such as the softly textured peaches, sliced lemon floating in the water glass and the delicate bird’s nest that he always painted with three eggs. The grand scale of this painting, however, allows the artist to incorporate still lifes within a still life, a feature reserved only for his larger and more opulent pictures as a means of organizing his elements. Summer’s Bounty features several varieties of vessels, including a painted porcelain bowl and wicker basket, and is notably organized in three tiers including the large compote bowl at upper center. Multiple luxurious fabrics drape over the marble ledges, where the artist emphasizes the sense of overflowing bounty by literally spilling elements from one tier down to another. A celebration of texture, color and visual abundance, Summer’s Bounty represents the very best of Roesen’s famed paintings that were synonymous with 19th century American optimism.
Roesen immigrated to the United States in 1848, first settling in New York City and eventually in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in the early 1860s. The booming lumber industry turned Williamsport into a rapidly growing and financially healthy rural community, sophisticated and cosmopolitan enough to support artists like Roesen. Wealthy patrons acquired his lush still lifes, which mirrored the bounty of the American landscape that provided them such prosperity. Indeed, much of the American art produced in this period, from still lifes to the glorious landscapes of the Hudson River School, reflected the nation’s general sense of strength and optimism and contributed to a collective national pride.
Formerly a painter of decorative arts, Roesen’s working process included repeating motifs throughout many of his floral and fruit still lifes and adding in special elements depending on the scale or orientation of his work. Summer’s Bounty incorporates many hallmarks of Roesen’s signature style, such as the softly textured peaches, sliced lemon floating in the water glass and the delicate bird’s nest that he always painted with three eggs. The grand scale of this painting, however, allows the artist to incorporate still lifes within a still life, a feature reserved only for his larger and more opulent pictures as a means of organizing his elements. Summer’s Bounty features several varieties of vessels, including a painted porcelain bowl and wicker basket, and is notably organized in three tiers including the large compote bowl at upper center. Multiple luxurious fabrics drape over the marble ledges, where the artist emphasizes the sense of overflowing bounty by literally spilling elements from one tier down to another. A celebration of texture, color and visual abundance, Summer’s Bounty represents the very best of Roesen’s famed paintings that were synonymous with 19th century American optimism.