WALTER SHIRLAW (1838-1909) American art vintage landscape painting

Fine Art : Paintings : American Art : 19th Century

 

Oil on canvas, unframed, measuring 20 1/2" by 15", signed at lower right "W. Shirlaw", no date but circa turn of the century, the subject being a young field hand with a large scythe, apparently cutting the high grass in a bucolic green landscape. The painting is in need of restoration, as there is old moisture damage at bottom, which has caused flaking and paint loss at the bottom half inch+, and there's an irregular tear to the left of the figure, measuring about two inches. The artist is today perhaps best known as an illustrator, especially of magazines, but he painted a wide range of subject matter in a variety of media, and was also active in graphic arts, and, even, stained glass. Some paintings bring significant sums at major auctions. Shirlaw was born in Scotland, was in the United States by age three, and traveled a wide swath of the American West during the Indian Wars years. By 1877 he was studying in Munich, and thereafter is mostly associated with New York and Chicago. He was the first president of the Society of American Artists, and taught at the Art Students League. Shirlaw was widely exhibited; including such prestigious venues as the National Academy, the Pennsylvania Academy, the Boston Art Club, the Art Institute of Chicago. His work was also shown at major worlds fairs of the time, from Chicago in 1893, Paris in 1889, and St. Louis in 1904. See askart for much more on the artist. Shipping wizard figures are guesstimates. SEE MY SHOP FOR HUNDREDS OF OTHER WORKS OF ART.

Item ID: JB01096