Lot Essay
Along with Boy and Girl at a Well, the present work and its counterpart mark an exciting rediscovery of Winslow Homer's watercolors. The current owner's great-great-grandmother, Aucelia Harriett Bentley Burtis, likely acquired these works at auction in 1879 in Chicago, and they have been passed down through the family since.
An archivist, the present owner removed the works from the wall to be safely stored, making copies of each to hang in her office. Following a colleague expressing surprise regarding Homer works hanging in the office, the present owner applied for Antiques Roadshow to further investigate. During filming in Arkansas, it was concluded that these works were, in fact, previously unlocated watercolors by the eminent American master.
An archivist, the present owner removed the works from the wall to be safely stored, making copies of each to hang in her office. Following a colleague expressing surprise regarding Homer works hanging in the office, the present owner applied for Antiques Roadshow to further investigate. During filming in Arkansas, it was concluded that these works were, in fact, previously unlocated watercolors by the eminent American master.