Questroyal 2009

Jasper Francis Cropsey ( 1823 – 1900 ) Plate 13 Gates of the Hudson Oil on canvas 20 1 / 4 x 30 5 / 16 inches Signed lower left: J.F. Cropsey provenance Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Sante Fe, New Mexico Michael N. Altman Fine Art & Advisory Services, LLC, NewYork Questroyal Fine Art, LLC, NewYork Private collection, NewYork He has chosen the picturesque varieties of his theme with great intellectual sagacity; given to them an atmosphere that the human lungs can expand in, and over cloud, mountain, sea, and tower poured the full light of day. e. anna lewis, art critic, 1854 1 Mr. Cropsey is one of the few among our landscape painters who go directly to nature for their materials. For one so young in his art, his attainments are extraordinary; and it is no disparagement to the abilities of those veterans of landscape art, Cole and Durand, to prophesy, that before many years have elapsed he will stand with them in the front rank, shoulder to shoulder. The LiteraryWorld, 1847 2 Architectural and Artistic Precision In 1987, the New-York Historical Society organized a one-man show that showcased both the painterly and architectural pursuits of Jasper Francis Cropsey. 3 Although perhaps a new discovery for modern audiences, Cropsey’s architectural background was well known during his day. 4 Critics saw a positive link between Cropsey’s two professions and often emphasized the precision and accuracy of his paintings—qualities likely encouraged by his architectural studies. William Henry Forman, a critic and editor for The Manhattan , declared, “His perspective . . . is sure to be perfect, while the architectural effects he sometimes introduces on his canvases are always harmonious and consistent in details.” 5 Others took equal note of these features; the Home Journal reported, “[Cropsey] gives his subject to the general eye with more precision than most of his compeers,” while fellow artist Jervis McEntee recorded in his journal: “[Cropsey’s] touch is remark- ably crisp and excellent.” 6 Gates of the Hudson demonstrates the praise- worthy meticulousness of perspective and details described by his critics, offering a landscape that could easily double as a trompe l’oeil window scene of the Hudson River. — jlw Cropsey’s paintings are currently in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The White House, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Madrid. 1 E. Anna Lewis, “Art and Artists of America,” Graham’s American Monthly Magazine of Literature, Art, and Fashion 45 , no. 5 (November 1854 ): 484 . 2 “The Fine Arts,” The LiteraryWorld 1 , no. 15 (May 15, 1847 ): 347 . 3 See Mishoe Brennecke, Jasper F. Cropsey, Artist and Architect, Paintings, Drawings, and Photographs from the Collections of the Newington-Cropsey Foundation and The New- York Historical Society (NewYork: The New-York Historical Society, 1987 ). 4 Upon Cropsey’s death, The NewYork Times ran an article that celebrated both his paintings and architectural designs, which included the ornate Sixth Avenue elevated railroad station. “Jasper F. Cropsey Dead,” The NewYork Times , June 23, 1900 . 5 William Henry Forman, “Jasper Francis Cropsey, N. A.,” The Manhattan 3 , no. 4 (April 1884 ): 372 . 6 “Art and Artists,” Home Journal 8 , no. 263 (February 22, 1851 ): 3 ; Jervis McEntee Diary, March 18, 1885 , Jervis McEntee papers, 1796, 1848 – 1905 , Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., http://www.aaa.si.edu/collectionsonline/ mcenjerv/index.cfm (accessed July 5, 2009 ).