Alfred Thompson Bricher

Provenance:
The Halley Collection, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Collection of Mrs. Malcolm Taylor, Huntington, Connecticut.
Collection of Robert Weimann, Woodbridge, Connecticut.
Collection of Dean Levy, Scarsdale, New York.
Bernard Danenberg Galleries, Inc., New York, New York.
Acquired directly from the above, July 1970 (with funds provided by Eugene B. Sydnor, Jr., Richmond, Virginia).
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia (accession no. 70.21).

Lot Essay:
A leader of a second generation of Hudson River School painters, Alfred Thompson Bricher eschewed the majestic views of mountains and canyons favored by his peers. He instead directed his attention to the New England seashore, as exemplified by Monhegan Cliff, Maine, one of the largest works ever executed by the artist. Monhegan, situated off the coast of Maine, served as both muse and summer respite for the artist, inspiring a series of compelling works that showcased the island's sheer cliffs, pristine beaches, and dramatic interrelationship between light, landscape, and sea.

Bricher's views of Monhegan are characterized by a keen sense of atmosphere and meticulous attention to detail—seen here in the velvety greens of the landscape, translucent waves that crest and crash against the rocks, and cloud-filled skies overhead. His sensitivity to site conveys an attitude of both grandeur and isolation, inviting viewers to admire its ostensible beauty while contemplating the raw power of nature. His handling of light is particularly accomplished; breaking through an overcast sky, the sun casts a warm glow on the surface of the landscape and submerges its face in deep shadow. This interplay imbues the painting with a dynamic quality that celebrates, and quite literally foregrounds, Monhegan’s ever-changing weather.

At left, calmer waters prevail as Bricher turns his attention to the visitors who frequented the island. On the horizon, at some remove, a sailboat cruises. The artist's nuanced understanding of color is evident in subtle variations between the cool blues of the ocean and the blush-and-cream colored reflections that dapple its surface. Bathed in diffused light, the upper left quadrant of the painting exudes tranquility, and contrasts sharply with the tumult of the foreground. Monhegan Cliff, Maine pays homage to the unique topography of the island but also elevates it to a place where the sublime forces of nature are frozen in a moment of eternal beauty.