Alexander Pope
(American, 1849–1924)
English Setters
, 1891
Sale 1113 - American & European Art
Dec 7, 2022
10:00AM CT
Live / Chicago
Estimate
$50,000 -
$70,000
Sold for $50,000
Sold prices are inclusive of Buyer’s Premium
Lot Description
Alexander Pope
(American, 1849–1924)
English Setters
, 1891oil on canvas
signed Alexander Pope and dated (lower left)
36 3/8 x 48 1/8 inches.
This lot is located in Chicago.
Property from the Collection of Frances G. Scaife
Provenance:
Private Collection, Scituate, Massachusetts
Vose Galleries, Boston, acquired from the above, October 1979 (as Harry Dutton's Dogs (Two Setters))
Private Collection, Pittsburgh, purchased from the above, December 1979
Literature:
Howard J. Cave, "Alexander Pope, Painter of Animals," Brush and Pencil, vol. 8, May 1901, p. 111, illus. (as In Leash)
J.W. Moran, "Artist and True Art Critic Akin", Brush and Pencil, vol. 16, July 1906, p. 131, illus. (as In Leash)
William Secord, Dog Painting, 1840-1940: A Social History of the Dog in Art, Woodbridge, 1992, p. 315, no. 296, illus. (as English Setters)
William Secord, Dog Painting, A History of the Dog in Art, Woodbridge, 2009, p. 399, no. 517, illus. (as English Setters)
One of the few American artists represented in the Scaife collection, Alexander Pope was critically acclaimed for his paintings of animals. Indeed, critics compared him with the great animal painters Sir Edwin Henry Landseer and Rosa Bonheur for his paintings that appealed to the sympathies of animal lovers. The Boston-born artist started his work as a sculptor in the 1880s, and then transitioned into painting as a specialist artist of dog portraits. English Setters, possibly commissioned by a Mr. Harry Dutton, looks to the profile format of the purebred portrait, but breaks the strict framing as the two dogs turn their heads attentively toward the viewer. Unlike the strict profile, full-body compositions of the purebred portrait type, this artwork depicts the pets in a more casual, relaxed environment. The present composition is one that Pope found successful, and he made variations of it for different clients.
Condition Report
Framed: 42 1/2 x 52 1/2 inches.
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