Neal Auction Important Estates September 2015

58 348. Antique American Cast Iron “Fern” Pattern Garden Settee , late 19th c., Kramer Bros., Dayton, OH, continuous back and arms, pierced seat splayed legs, h. 35 1/2 in., w. 58 in., d. 22 1/2 in. $1200/1800 349. Pair of Cast Iron Garden Urns , mid‑19th c., squat campagna bodies with leafy scroll handles, h. 17 in., w. 36 in., d. 24 in. $500/700 350. Louis Oscar Griffith (American, 1875‑1956, act. New Orleans, 1916‑1917) , “A View of St. Louis Cathedral with Ursuline Nuns”, oil on canvas, signed lower right, 30 in. x 28 1/4 in., framed. $40000/60000 Note: Louis Oscar Griffith spent the winter of 1916-1917 in New Orleans with fellow artist Robert Grafton. The two were commissioned by the St. Charles Hotel to paint murals for the hotel, both of which received much praise and critical acclaim. Griffith found inspiration in the architecture, waterways and people of the city and created a wonderful body of work while in New Orleans. The historic buildings and active daily life of the Vieux Carré were a favorite subject matter. The painting offered here is a brilliant rendering of St. Louis Cathedral. Several nuns and well-dressed figures walk through Jackson Square in the foreground. Griffith masterfully depicts the effects of sunlight and shadow with the foliage set aglow and the figures casting their long shadows. A beautiful example of American Impressionism, this dazzling, large composition depicts New Orleans’ most iconic locale and is one of Griffith’s most accomplished paintings of the city.