catalog text
HARRY ROSELAND (AMERICAN, 1868-1950) PAINTING OF GIRL MOURNING
Signed lower left "Harry Roseland '86", executed in oil on canvas
Item # 704EUB29Z
A mournful scene of a young girl grieving the loss of her canary, this laying beside her on the desk where she buries her head in her arms. It is an incredibly rich scene, the photographic accuracy of shadow work precise against the vibrant colors of the moment. The scene insinuates that the girl should be focused on her studies, but probably will not be concentrating for some time while the loss remains fresh - her school tablet lies under an open book, a tatterred almanac hanging from a leather throng on the wall behind her, the cover page reading "Almanac 1886”. The painting is signed in the lower left corner in his distinctive script "Harry Roseland ’86"
While Roseland studied as the pupil of Beckwith and J.B. Whittaker in New York City, he was self-taught for the most part. Initially focusing on landscapes and still-life work, he grew a passion for detail rich and interesting genre scenes. Some of his most popular work is his series of fortune-tellers being visited by smartly dressed women of his era. He exhibited at the Brooklyn Art Club in 1888 for a gold medal, the American Art Society of Philadelphia in both 1902 and 1907 for a gold medal, the Brooklyn Society of Artists in 1930 and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Phildelphia.
Literature/notes:
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, vol. XI, Gründ, 2006, p. 1372-1373
Measurements: 27” W x 3/4” D x 19 1/2” H [frame]; 22” W x 13 7/8” H [canvas]
Condition Report:
Contemporary frame with minor wear. Original lining with a patch verso and corresponding inpainting to the front (girl’s hair, parallel to top of cage just above ribbon). Other conservation visible under uv including small spot touch up to spindles of cage and a touch up in her dress. Light surface craquelure. Cleaned and in gorgeous presentation ready condition.