Oil on canvas of Christian Herr House (often called the Hans Herr House) with a man and a woman in front. Green hues with glossy finish. Three quarter inch wooden frame with rounded outer edge and lower inner border. Painted gold with recessed markings in a darker color.
Inscription: Signed lower right: "17-CHHR-19 Lancaster, H.P. Palmer 1926." Sticker on paper back: " Hans Herr House painted by H. P. Palmer" Below is label: "Christian Herr House Built 1719 Oldest house in our county"
On back of canvas on pencil script: "Hans Herr House 1719 Willow Street, Lancaster County Pa H.P. Palmer July , 1926"
VAP update: paper backing is loose in places and has acidified. Paper tape from previous repair has loosened. Behind is early 20th century calendar art of woman, dog and child in lamplight
VAP update: 9/1/2015 acidic backing replaced with acid free board. Original backings can be found in object file.
The Japanese Kimono (has been listed as "Japanese Print")
Description
Large oil on canvas painting of a seated woman wearing a Japanese kimono, according to the title. The subject is Helen Thurlow, a Lancaster/Greenwich Village-based Pa. Academy of Fine Arts-trained artist & illustrator.
On back: Signed at upper right corner; 2 provenance show labels/stickers from Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh
Survey done by Tom Ryan and Mike Heberlein states:
Painting: Signed upper right A. Traquair Lang, Auction #124 at lower right. Good condition (Note: Found on 06-28-17, a large 2" long puncture tear to right of subject's face.) Surface dirt, discolored varnish, minor cracking of paint (center right, center area of kimono).
Frame: Fair, minor scuffing throughout, painted gold.
Frame conservation needs: Minor touchup throughout.
Object ID
1951.013
Notes
All info via correspondence w/ writer/researcher Eve Kahn
This painting was exhibited in various shows, including the 1915 Panama-Pacific expo in California. It is pictured in a centennial book on p. 24 installed on gallery #65 wall and flanked by two more of her ptgs. See:
See Objects Photos for above image (in 1915 expo).
Subject Helen A. Thurlow (1889- ?) was the daughter of Thomas and Annie Thurlow of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, from 1904-1912, where Thomas Anshutz was head instructor. He painted her portrait, seated sideways, and the portrait is thought to be during Ms. Thurlow's student years. See:
Portrait of Helen Thurlow, pastel on canvas, c. 1910 by Thos. Anschutz
(Portrait sold by Hammer Galleries, NY, NY.)
Annie T. Lang was painted by her mentor William Merritt Chase in 1911. This O/C ptg. is owned by the PMA & has accession # 1928-63-4. The label reads:
"William Merritt Chase was an early pioneer of Impressionist aesthetics in the United States and enjoyed immense popularity during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A celebrated teacher, Chase likely first met his protégée Annie Lang (1885-1918) in 1901 when she enrolled in one of his annual summer schools on Long Island. Painted in the summer of 1911 outside Florence, Italy, while Chase was on one of his many extended sojourns in Europe, this portrait of Lang suggests the close, perhaps intimate, relationship between the two artists. The painting incorporates the rich fabrics, ornate décor, and elegant attire that characterize Chase's interior scenes".
Painting: Canvas in fair condition, surface grime, oil on canvas, heavy cracking throughout, mildew damage throughout, minor paint loss lower center, signed lower left W. Satterlee.
Frame: 6" painted gold with plaque that reads "Walter J. Bausman, 1859-1924, W. Satterlee". Fair condition with minor scuffing & scratching throughout.
Frame conservation needs: Surface clean with minor touchup.
