The Water Carrier

Details

George De Forest Brush (1855-1941)
The Water Carrier
signed and dated 'Geo. De F. Brush/1890' (lower right)
oil on panel
10 x 7 in. (25.4 x 17.8 cm.)

Provenance

The artist.
C.M. Shipman.
By descent in the Shipman Family.
Private collection.
Christie's, New York, 1 May 2000, lot 42.
Private collection.

Literature

Berry-Hill Galleries, American Paintings V, New York, 1988, pp. 82-3, illustrated.
B. Weber, American Paintings IX, New York, Berry-Hill Galleries, 2001, pp. 66-7, illustrated.

Lot Essay

During the 1880s, George de Forest Brush moved away from the more traditional depiction of the Indian as a fierce warrior toward a portrayal that emphasized a more poetic and spiritual life. The present work is one of only two Indian works that Brush completed during his return visit to Paris in 1890--the last year he would paint this subject until after 1910. While in many ways a study rather than a finished painting, The Water Carrier possesses both the clarity of execution and introspective quality of expression of Brush's finest early works.

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