Christie’s NOVEMBER 30, 2011
FREDERIC EDWIN CHURCH (1826-1900)
Twilight
Estimate: $1,000,000 – 1,500,000
Possibly no other American so faithfully captured the higher, more elusive meanings of landscape as Frederic Edwin Church, whose unmatched ability to record natural details captivated the public, and earned him a reputation for technical brilliance even as a young man. Painted at the height of his career, in 1863, Twilight (pictured above; estimate $1,000,000-1,500,000) is a masterwork in which Church captures the majesty and promise inherent in the national landscape, the subject for which he is most renowned. In this scene of a glowing red sunset reflected on Maine’s highest peak, Mount Katahdin, he simultaneously presents a powerful and grand scene of nature and a picture of quiet solitude, creating a deeply profound work that is a superb representation of the artistic, political and social influences of his day. The importance of Twilight in Church’s oeuvre is underscored by its provenance, having belonged to William Henry Osborn, who was one of Church’s great patrons and also a close friend. Osborn was the son-in-law of famed collector and patron, Jonathan Sturges, who commissioned some of the most celebrated works of Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand and others.
![]()
![]()
![]()
Bonhams December 4, 2013
FREDERIC EDWIN CHURCH
(American, 1826-1900)
A study of bamboo 11 3/4 x 17 7/8in
Sold for US$ 27,500
SOTHEBY’S May 21 2014
FREDERIC EDWIN CHURCH
1826 - 1900
1826 - 1900
SOUTH AMERICAN LANDSCAPE (STUDY FOR CHIMBORAZO)
Estimate 300,000 — 500,000
SOTHEBY’S DEC 4 2013
Estimate 800,000 — 1,200,000
Lot Sold 905,000
Bonhams May 20, 2009
![]()
Frederic Edwin Church (American, 1826-1900)
Twilight in the Tropics (A tropical moonlight)
30 x 25 1/4in
Bonhams May 20, 2009
Frederic Edwin Church (American, 1826-1900)
Twilight in the Tropics (A tropical moonlight)
30 x 25 1/4in
Sold for US$ 1,274,000