Neal Auction Important Estates September 2015

Additional information at www.nealauction.com 53 324. Marshall Joseph Smith, Jr. (American/ New Orleans, 1854‑1923) , “Sunrise” and “Rising Moon”, 1879, each oil on canvas affixed to boards, both initialed “M.J.S. Jr” and dated lower right, both titled lower center, 7 in. x 5 in., framed alike, (2 pcs.) $15000/25000 Provenance: Family of the artist; by descent. 323. Andres Molinary (American/New Orleans, 1847‑1915) , “North Shore, Lake Pontchartrain (Fisherman’s Cabin)”, 1884, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right, 24 in. x 36 in., original giltwood frame. $60000/90000 Provenance: Walker Ronaldson, Jr., New Orleans, LA; D. Benjamin Kleinpeter, Sr. Collection, Baton Rouge, LA. Ill.: Pennington, E.C., Downriver: Currents of Style in Louisiana Painting 1800‑1950, Pelican Pub. Co., 1991, p. 139. Note: Known for painting a variety of subject matter, including portraits, landscapes, genre scenes, and still lifes, Andres Molinary embraced the realist style of Academic Art that was prevalent in late 19th century American painting. Although portraiture was his main source of income, Molinary was highly involved in many aspects of the art community in New Orleans, including working with photography and co-founding and teaching at the Southern Art Union and the Artists’ Association of New Orleans. Frequenting the F. W. Seebold salons, as well as starting the “Cup and Saucer Club,” which took place at his studio, Molinary’s acquaintances and friends included a diverse group of artists. Molinary was known for traveling outside of New Orleans and exploring the surrounding bodies of water – rivers, lakes, and bayous – to find interesting compositions for his landscapes. The landscape here depicts an idyllic scene by Lake Pontchartrain; two figures interact on the porch of a cabin while a third mends fishing nets near the edge of the water. The low horizon line, a large portion of the canvas devoted to the sky and clouds, and the central position of the cabin indicate a traditional composition favored by Academic artists, while the feathery brushwork of the clouds and the cypress trees in the background bring a slightly more contemporary feel to the painting. This is particularly true when comparing Molinary’s work to earlier landscape artists such as Richard Clague, whose painting style was more influenced by the French Barbizon School. An artist, a teacher, and an organizer of the arts community, Molinary’s varied interests were as diverse as his background – a Spaniard from Gibraltar whose travels took him through Italy, Africa, and Mexico, to finally settle in New Orleans. His colleagues worked in manners as wide-ranging as the Academic technique of classically trained Paul Poincy to the Impressionistic style of the Woodward brothers. Overall, this broad-minded approach served Molinary well in creating a well-rounded oeuvre, including portraits of prominent New Orleans citizens and beautifully detailed Louisiana landscapes such as the exhibition quality work offered here. Ref.: Bonner, Judith H., et al, ed. The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Volume 21: Art and Architecture . Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2013. Pennington, Estill Curtis. Downriver: Currents of Style in Louisiana Painting 1800-1950 . Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Company, 1991.