Ralph Albert Blakelock Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Ralph Albert Blakelock Art Value Price Guide

Apr. 27, 2025
Authentic Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847 - 1919) Antique Modernist American Landscape Painting
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Antique American modernist landscape oil painting with a figure by Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847 - 1919). Oil on canvas. Framed. The painting was examined by the University of Nebraska and given a category II label. This means the painting is authentic but does not have provenance. Measuring 7 by 10 inches and 4 by 6.5 painting alone. Please see all images for condition. Size is measured and written on the back of the painting. The first size is the overall size, the second size is the image size. For detailed condition questions please email hello@curatedgallery.com. Flat rate domestic UPS or FedEx shipping is $85 for this lot.
Curated Gallery Auctions
Apr. 22, 2025
Ralph Albert Blakelock (American, 1847-1919) Oil on Canvas
Est: $3,000 - $4,000
Ralph Albert Blakelock (American, 1847-1919) Oil on Canvas Undated, signed lower right, depicting a forest landscape at sunset, in a gold-tone painted wood frame having name placard at center, including letter stating authenticity, original receipt dated 1917 from W. Scott Thurber Art Gallery Property from: an Estate, Chicago (Gold Coast), Illinois Category: Fine Art > Paintings Estimated Sale Time: 10:54 am CST Shipping Status: Leonard Auction, Inc. will provide direct shipping for this lot. Please visit our website for a shipping estimate. Last modified: March 31, 2025, 3:37 pm
Leonard Auction
Apr. 04, 2025
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (New York/California, 1847-1919), Twilight scene., Oil on panel 6.25" x 7.5". Framed 11" x 9.75".
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK New York/California, 1847-1919 Twilight scene. Signed lower right "R. Blakelock".
Eldred's
Mar. 27, 2025
RALPH BLAKELOCK 'SQUATTERS COTTAGE' OIL ON CANVAS
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Ralph Albert Blakelock (American, 1847-1919). "Squatters Cottage" - oil on canvas laid to supportive canvas backing, illegibly signed to LR. Framed. Note: accompanied by receipt and correspondence from Anslew Gallery Inc. Norfolk, VA, 1962 and Victor D. Spark valuation, June 1962. Provenance: The Estate of Louis & Helen Regenstein, Jr., Atlanta, GA. Louis Jr. was the eldest son of Louis & Venia Regenstein, Sr., founders of Regenstein's Department Store. Louis Jr. served as senior partner at the law firm now known as Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton. Helen served on many philanthropic committees and boards throughout her life including The Alliance Theatre, The High Museum, and The Temple, and also served as Parliamentarian of the Atlanta Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Approximate dimensions: canvas h. 8", w. 10.75"; frame h. 14.75", w. 17.75", d. 1.375".
Ahlers & Ogletree Inc.
Mar. 16, 2025
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK, PEN & INK "MADAROL" TREES (1847 -1919) PROV. VOSE GALLERIES 7 1/2" X 6"
Est: $100 - $500
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK, PEN & INK "MADAROL" TREES (1847 -1919) PROV. VOSE GALLERIES 7 1/2" X 6"
Carlsen Gallery, Inc.
Feb. 16, 2025
Ralph Albert Blakelock (American, 1847 - 1919)
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
Ralph Albert Blakelock (New York, California, 1847 - 1919) Moonlit Landscape. Oil on Canvas. Signed lower right. Housed in a gilt frame. Recently conserved by Yost conservation (2023). Provenance: Private Fairhope Alabama collection. Sight Size: 20 x 16 in. Overall Framed Size: 30 x 25.5 x 3 in.
Helmuth Stone
Jan. 24, 2025
Fifty-Ninth Street and Fifth Avenue
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
Ralph Albert Blakelock 1847 - 1919 Fifty-Ninth Street and Fifth Avenue signed R.A. Blakelock (lower left) oil on canvas 16 ¼ by 24 ¼ in. 41.3 by 61.6 cm. Executed circa 1870. This painting is included in the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, University of Nebraska, Nebraska Blakelock Inventory as NBI-973, category II.
Sotheby's
Dec. 01, 2024
Ralph Albert Blakelock Indian Oil Painting
Est: $12,000 - $16,000
Title is Fireside Warrior. Original frame. Partial label from Blakelock on back as shown. Oil on Board. 10" by 14" unframed, 21 1/2" by 25 3/4" framed. Painting has been recently cleaned, there is scattered inpainting which is on top of varnish, this inpainting can easily be removed without damage to the painting. PROVENANCE: Martin Lane Historic & Western Americana Lifetime Collection. Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847 - 1919) was active/lived in New York, California. Ralph Blakelock is known for Luminous landscape and portrait painting. Born in New York City, Ralph Blakelock earned a reputation for nocturnal, misty scenes, especially moonlit landscapes, large oak trees, and Indian encampments. He also did a small number of floral still lifes. His work has a mysterious quality, which some associated with the type of music he habitually played on the piano during interludes from his painting. Towards the end of his career, his paintings became increasingly haunting, a reflection of his insanity brought on by horrible poverty and his inability to support his family of nine children. He was both a late exponent of the Hudson River School of painting and also of the American West. He also foreshadowed the romantic, visionary, and modern tendencies that marked the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries. This romanticism, especially of escapism, was increasingly pronounced towards the end of his career. Blakelock was the son of a prominent English-born, New York physician, and first took medical studies, but his love of music and art led him away from medicine. He graduated from the College of the City of New York, studied briefly at Cooper Union, and at the Free Academy of the City of New York. In 1867, he first exhibited at the National Academy of Design to which he was ultimately elected, after he was incarcerated for insanity. During this time, he painted a series of New York City scenes, primarily of un-glamorous areas such as his work, Shanties, New York City. He also painted in Hudson River Style and was in locations that included the Adirondacks and the White Mountain. It is thought he learned this style during his brief and only art education at Cooper Union. Primarily self taught, he declined his father's offer to pay for more extensive art schooling, and instead, at age 22, embarked on a three-year (1869-1972) horseback tour of the West. He lived with plains Indians, painting pictures of their villages, and traveled and painted through the Rockies and the Sierra Nevadas. In San Francisco and Oakland, he painted city scenes, the tree landscapes, and coastal views, and then he headed south to Mexico. These western paintings were also in the Hudson River style, although they were rough and more painterly. Returning to New York, he developed what became his signature expression: quiet, moody, nocturnal scenes accented with bright colors depicting light, and trees silhouetted against the sky. He had a labor-intensive technique, which was building up of multi layers of thick paint, scraping some away, and "adding more to build a complex tonality". (Zellman 420) It is said that his real travels were introspective from which he created these moody, dark landscapes, and they did not satisfy the current public taste for uplifting Hudson River style painting. Ahead of popular taste, his work was overlooked, and crooked dealers took advantage of him. With the desperation of trying to support his huge family, he sold his work cheaply. Ironically, many years after his death, his work became so valuable that forgers, including a dealer who changed the signature on canvases of Blakelock's artist daughter, Marian, to that of her father, sold paintings at very high prices by using his signature. Norman Geske, Director Emeritus of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery in Lincoln, Nebraska, became the authenticator of Blakelock's work, and has seen many, many illegitimate so-called Blakelocks. Under Geske's direction, a catalogue raisonne has been published that classifies paintings with Blakelock's signature into three categories according to their degree of perceived authenticity. In 1899, the artist had a mental breakdown and spent the last twenty years of his life in an asylum in Middleton, New York. He died on August 9, 1919. However, his work had already begun increasing in value, and by 1916 was bringing as high as $20,000.
Davis Brothers Auction
Nov. 09, 2024
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (AMERICAN, 1847-1919) FRAMED O/C MOONLIT LANDSCAPE
Est: $3,000 - $6,000
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (AMERICAN, WAS ACTIVE / LIVED IN NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA 1847-1919) FRAMED OIL ON CANVAS MOONLIT LANDSCAPE - RELINED CANVAS IN 1959 (SEE INFO ON REVERSE) ARTIST SIGNED LOWER LEFT - EXCEPTIONAL ANTIQUE GOLD GILT FRAME IN GREAT OVERALL CONDITION - FRAME MEASURES 33" X 27 1/2", SIGHT 23" X 17"
Heart Felt Antiques & Auction Service
Nov. 09, 2024
Ralph Albert Blakelock, Forest Scene
Est: $3,000 - $6,000
Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847 - 1919) Forest Scene watercolor, oil on mounted paper inscribed verso: F. I. - Ward / For Dr. Woodman University of Nebraska Blakelock Inventory No. 1473
Santa Fe Art Auction
Nov. 02, 2024
Ralph Albert Blakelock Indian Oil Painting
Est: $12,000 - $16,000
Title is Fireside Warrior. Original frame. Partial label from Blakelock on back as shown. Oil on Board. 10" by 14" unframed, 21 1/2" by 25 3/4" framed. Painting has been recently cleaned, there is scattered inpainting which is on top of varnish, this inpainting can easily be removed without damage to the painting. PROVENANCE: Martin Lane Historic & Western Americana Lifetime Collection. Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847 - 1919) was active/lived in New York, California. Ralph Blakelock is known for Luminous landscape and portrait painting. Born in New York City, Ralph Blakelock earned a reputation for nocturnal, misty scenes, especially moonlit landscapes, large oak trees, and Indian encampments. He also did a small number of floral still lifes. His work has a mysterious quality, which some associated with the type of music he habitually played on the piano during interludes from his painting. Towards the end of his career, his paintings became increasingly haunting, a reflection of his insanity brought on by horrible poverty and his inability to support his family of nine children. He was both a late exponent of the Hudson River School of painting and also of the American West. He also foreshadowed the romantic, visionary, and modern tendencies that marked the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries. This romanticism, especially of escapism, was increasingly pronounced towards the end of his career. Blakelock was the son of a prominent English-born, New York physician, and first took medical studies, but his love of music and art led him away from medicine. He graduated from the College of the City of New York, studied briefly at Cooper Union, and at the Free Academy of the City of New York. In 1867, he first exhibited at the National Academy of Design to which he was ultimately elected, after he was incarcerated for insanity. During this time, he painted a series of New York City scenes, primarily of un-glamorous areas such as his work, Shanties, New York City. He also painted in Hudson River Style and was in locations that included the Adirondacks and the White Mountain. It is thought he learned this style during his brief and only art education at Cooper Union. Primarily self taught, he declined his father's offer to pay for more extensive art schooling, and instead, at age 22, embarked on a three-year (1869-1972) horseback tour of the West. He lived with plains Indians, painting pictures of their villages, and traveled and painted through the Rockies and the Sierra Nevadas. In San Francisco and Oakland, he painted city scenes, the tree landscapes, and coastal views, and then he headed south to Mexico. These western paintings were also in the Hudson River style, although they were rough and more painterly. Returning to New York, he developed what became his signature expression: quiet, moody, nocturnal scenes accented with bright colors depicting light, and trees silhouetted against the sky. He had a labor-intensive technique, which was building up of multi layers of thick paint, scraping some away, and "adding more to build a complex tonality". (Zellman 420) It is said that his real travels were introspective from which he created these moody, dark landscapes, and they did not satisfy the current public taste for uplifting Hudson River style painting. Ahead of popular taste, his work was overlooked, and crooked dealers took advantage of him. With the desperation of trying to support his huge family, he sold his work cheaply. Ironically, many years after his death, his work became so valuable that forgers, including a dealer who changed the signature on canvases of Blakelock's artist daughter, Marian, to that of her father, sold paintings at very high prices by using his signature. Norman Geske, Director Emeritus of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery in Lincoln, Nebraska, became the authenticator of Blakelock's work, and has seen many, many illegitimate so-called Blakelocks. Under Geske's direction, a catalogue raisonne has been published that classifies paintings with Blakelock's signature into three categories according to their degree of perceived authenticity. In 1899, the artist had a mental breakdown and spent the last twenty years of his life in an asylum in Middleton, New York. He died on August 9, 1919. However, his work had already begun increasing in value, and by 1916 was bringing as high as $20,000.
Davis Brothers Auction
Oct. 30, 2024
ATTR. RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK - SUNSET
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Attributed to Ralph Albert Blakelock (American, 1847 - 1919). Sunset over Meadow, oil on board, no apparent signature.
Litchfield Auctions
Oct. 25, 2024
Ralph Albert Blakelock (AM 1847-1920)
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Ralph Albert Blakelock (American 1847-1920) Oil on oak panel with inscription reverse "From your friend Blakelock to the Man with the Hoe Ed S Markham Jan 1906 Staten Island" 9 x11" 16 x 18" as framed.
Merrill's Auctioneers & Appraisers
Oct. 24, 2024
Attributed to Ralph Blakelock (1847-1919): Sunset Over the Marsh
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Oil on board, signed 'R.A. Blakelock' lower left, with the Blakelock Inventory label. 7 1/4 x 13 3/8 in., 15 1/2 x 21 3/4 in. (frame). Note: This work is listed as Category III, no. 989, in the University of Nebraska Blakelock Inventory.
STAIR
Oct. 24, 2024
Attributed to Ralph Blakelock (1847-1919): The Stream
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Oil on canvas, signed 'RA Blakelock' lower left, with the Milwaukee Art Institute and University of Nebraska Blakelock Inventory labels on the reverse, lined. 22 1/2 x 44 1/2 in., 31 x 50 in. (frame). Note: This work is listed as no. 105 in the University of Nebraska Blakelock Inventory.
STAIR
Oct. 16, 2024
Ralph Albert Blakelock
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
(American, 1847-1919) Indian Encampment on the Lake, oil on canvas, signed lower left "Blakelock", 15 x 25 in.; fine ornate gilt wood and composition frame, 27 x 37 in. Provenance: Steven Straw, Inc., Newburyport, Massachusetts; Bernard and S. Dean Levy, New York; Alfred A. Funai, New York; Private Collection, Connecticut; Christie's, New York, New York, September 27, 2004, lot 63; Questroyal Fine Art, LLC, New York, New York, acquired from above; Private Collection, Massachusetts, 2005 Exhibitions: Questroyal Fine Art, LLC, New York, New York, Ralph Albert Blakelock: The Great Mad Genius, November 15-December 15, 2005, label verso. Literature: Ralph Albert Blakelock: The Great Mad Genius (New York: Questroyal Fine Art, 2005), 44, plate 31.; John Zeaman, "Visions of a Troubled Genius: An American Original Gets His Due," review of Ralph Albert Blackelock: The Great Mad Genius, Questroyal Fine Art, New York, New Jersey Record, November 25, 2005, 28.
Brunk Auctions
Oct. 15, 2024
Ralph Albert Blakelock (American, 1847 - 1919)
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Ralph Albert Blakelock (New York, California, 1847 - 1919) Moonlit Landscape. Oil on Canvas. Signed lower right. Housed in a gilt frame. Recently conserved by Yost conservation. Sight Size: 20 x 16 in. Overall Framed Size: 30 x 25.5 x 3 in.
Helmuth Stone
Sep. 11, 2024
Attributed to Ralph Blakelock (1847-1919): Landscape
Est: $600 - $900
Oil on board, unsigned, with The Univertsity of Nebraska Blakelock Inventory label on the reverse; together with American School: Night Sky, oil on board, indistinctly signed lower right; and Sunrise, oil on canvas mounted on board, unsigned. 12 x 17 in., 19 x 23 1/2 in. (frame), 4 x 5 1/4 in., 10 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (frame), 4 x 4 1/2 in., 9 x 9 1/2 in. (frame).
STAIR
Sep. 04, 2024
RALPH A. BLAKELOCK OIL ON CANVAS, LUMINOUS LANDSCAPE.
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847 - 1919) oil on canvas, luminous river landscape signed R. A Blakelock, canvas 8” x 16”, in black frame 11.25” x 19.25”. Provenance: L. Kafka estate.
William Smith Auctions
Aug. 27, 2024
RALPH ROBERT BLAKELOCK (American, 1847-1919)
Est: $400 - $600
"INDIAN ENCAMPMENT AT NIGHT". Oil on board depicting a dark landscape of an Indian encampment with seated figures in foreground. Signed lower right "Blakelock". Housed in an ornate 19th century frame under glass. SIZE: overall 21" x 25 1/2", sight 9 1/2" x 13 3/4". CONDITION: age darkened original surface. Chips to frame. PROVENANCE: Martin Lane Historic & Western Americana Lifetime Collection. (02-21596/TG). $400-600.
Poulin Antiques & Auctions
Jul. 20, 2024
Attributed to Ralph Albert Blakelock (American 1847-1919), Evening Landscape of a Woman Walking Along a Path, Oil on canvas, Unsigned, old frame label on verso, 11" x 16", Condition: relined, restored, heavy craquelur...
Est: $200 - $400
Attributed to Ralph Albert Blakelock (American 1847-1919) Evening Landscape of a Woman Walking Along a Path Oil on canvas Unsigned, old frame label on verso 11" x 16" Condition: relined, restored, heavy craquelure throughout, inpainting, heavy varnish
Nadeau's Auction Gallery
Jun. 29, 2024
ATTR TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK AMERICAN OIL PAINTING
Est: $100 - $150
Attributed to Ralph Albert Blakelock, American, 1847 to 1919, an antique oil painting on canvas depicting a forest landscape. Unsigned. An original paper label of the West New York Art Gallery is on the backside. Ralph Albert Blakelock was a romanticist American painter known primarily for his landscape paintings related to the Tonalism movement. Ralph Blakelock is known for Luminous landscape and portrait painting. He was both a late exponent of the Hudson River School of painting and also of the American West. He also foreshadowed the romantic, visionary, and modern tendencies that marked the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries. One of a kind artwork.
Antique Arena Inc
Jun. 09, 2024
Ralph Blakelock (1847-1919): Figure in a Woodland Landscape
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Ralph Blakelock 1847 - 1919 Figure in a Woodland Landscape oil on canvas signed lower right
Abell Auction
Jun. 05, 2024
Ralph Albert Blakelock
Est: $500 - $700
(American, 1847-1919) Panama, signed lower right 'Blakelock', ink on paper, 4-1/4 x 7 in.; gilt wood frame, 11 x 13-3/4 in. Provenance: Douglas Collins circa 1970 (presumably, label verso); Vose Galleries, Boston, Massachusetts (label verso); The Collection of Clare and Jared Edwards, West Hartford, Connecticut Exhibited: The Enigma of Ralph A. Blakelock, Vose Galleries, Boston, Massachusetts, 1969, catalog no. 15.
Brunk Auctions
May. 16, 2024
Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919): Harvest Moon
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Ralph Albert Blakelock 1847-1919 Harvest Moon oil on panel possibly signed lower right
Abell Auction
May. 15, 2024
Attributed to Ralph Albert Blakelock
Est: $300 - $500
American, 1847-1919 Sunset Over the Sea Signed R. A. Blakelock within the artist's device (lr) Oil on panel 18 3/4 x 11 inches (47.6 x 27.9 cm) (Framed 22 x 30 inches) surface soiling; frame rub; craquelure; it is difficult to discern any restorations under UV light through the grey-green varnish.
DOYLE Auctioneers & Appraisers
Apr. 13, 2024
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK ANTIQUE LANDSCAPE OIL PAINTING
Est: $100 - $150
Ralph Albert Blakelock, American, 1847 to 1919, an antique oil painting on wood board depicting a landscape scene. Signed lower left. Framed. Ralph Blakelock is known for Luminous landscape and portrait painting. Born in New York City, Ralph Blakelock earned a reputation for nocturnal, misty scenes, especially moonlit landscapes, large oak trees, and Indian encampments. He also did a small number of floral still lifes. His work has a mysterious quality, which some associated with the type of music he habitually played on the piano during interludes from his painting. Towards the end of his career, his paintings became increasingly haunting, a reflection of his insanity brought on by horrible poverty and his inability to support his family of nine children. He was both a late exponent of the Hudson River School of painting and also of the American West. He also foreshadowed the romantic, visionary, and modern tendencies that marked the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries. One of a kind artwork.
Antique Arena Inc
Feb. 07, 2024
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK, AMERICAN, NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA 1847-1919, LANDSCAPE, Oil on canvas, 12 x 17 1/2 in. (30.5 x 44.5 cm.), Frame: 22 x 27 in. (55.9 x 68.6 cm.)
Est: $12,000 - $16,000
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK AMERICAN, NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA, 1847-1919 LANDSCAPE Oil on canvas Lower left signed: R. A. Blakelock; verso: University of Nebraska Blakelock Inventory: #1492; Pierce Gallery Label
Potomack Company
Jan. 26, 2024
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (New York/California, 1847-1919), Landscape at sunset., Oil on canvas board, 6.75" x 9.5". Framed 11.75" x 14.75".
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK New York/California, 1847-1919 Landscape at sunset. Unsigned. University of Nebraska Blakelock Inventory number label verso.
Eldred's
Jan. 21, 2024
Ralph Albert Blakelock "The Last Glow" Painting
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
BLAKELOCK, Ralph Albert, (American, 1847-1919): "The Last Glow" Tonalist sunset landscape, Oil/Wood Panel, monogrammed lower left, older auction label and written provenance verso, 4" x 5.5", framed 14.75" x 16.25". Purchased at Butterfield & Butterfield, April 1, 1992. Condition Small scratch center left.
Amero Auctions
Nov. 16, 2023
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (New York/California, 1847-1919), Evening landscape study., Oil on canvas laid down on panel, 4" x 5". Framed 8.5" x 9.5".
Est: $1,000 - $3,000
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK New York/California, 1847-1919 Evening landscape study. Unsigned. Label verso for Clarke's Art Rooms, New York. Housed in a Whistler-style frame.
Eldred's
Nov. 16, 2023
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (New York/California, 1847-1919), Indian encampment., Oil on panel, 6.5" x 9.5". Framed 12" x 15".
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK New York/California, 1847-1919 Indian encampment. Signed lower right "R.A. Blakelock".
Eldred's
Nov. 01, 2023
Ralph Albert Blakelock, Attributed (American, 1847-1919) Indian Camp
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Ralph Albert Blakelock, Attributed (American, 1847-1919) Indian Camp oil on canvas 20 x 32 1/4 inches Provenance: Macbeth Gallery, New York, New York Purchased from the above by A. Irving Tallis, Buffalo, New York, 1934 Thence by descent to Henry Tallis, Williams Bay, Wisconsin Acquired from the above by Taylor B. Williams, Harbert, Michigan, circa 1972 Accompanied by a statement of confidence from close personal friend of R.A. Blakelock, Mr. Harry W. Watrous, New York, New York.
Hindman
Oct. 21, 2023
Attributed to Ralph Albert Blakelock, New York/California (1847-1919), Moonlit Landscape, oil on canvas
Est: $800 - $1,200
Attributed to Ralph Albert Blakelock New York/California, (1847-1919) Moonlit Landscape oil on canvas This painting has been associated with the work of Ralph Albert Blakelock, and it has been examined, numbered and officially catalogued by scholars who run the Blakelock Inventory at the University of Nebraska. However due to discrepancies with other works known to have been painted by Blakelock, this work has been placed in "Category IV" by the university due to its discrepancies when compared to works from its large collection of fully attributable Blakelock paintings. Blakelock was born in New York City in 1847. Following in the footsteps of his father, as a young adult Blakelock began medical school in the city but dropped out, choosing to become a self-taught artist. He left New York alone to travel across the American West and live among Native peoples—a huge source of inspiration for his work. At age 30 he married and had 9 children, a large family that was no doubt difficult to support as a painter. Even though his work had become well known and sought after, his financial struggles led him to a series of mental breakdowns, eventually landing him in a mental institution for two decades. His landscapes works were influenced by the Hudson River School (Romantic landscape painters) and the French Barbizon School (a group that loved to paint dark forests). Blakelock's favourite themes focused on the wilderness and the solitude of nature. Blakelock was repeatedly taken advantage of by collectors and schemers over the course of his life—so neither he nor his family ever enjoyed income from his work. This painting of a full moon shimmering above a river in a dark landscape featuring shrubs and small trees sets a mysterious and eerie tone that has been sought after by collectors of American landscape paintings for over one century. Today Blakelock's work is proudly displayed at the Smithsonian Institute of American Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Brooklyn Museum, et al. The back of the painting includes a label reading: University of Nebraska, BLAKELOCK INVENTORY, No. NB1-1846-IV. The Nebraska Blakelock Inventory represents forty years of research at the university by Norman Geske, emeritus director of UNL's Sheldon Museum of Art. The site's wider scope is to provide additional resources on Blakelock's life and work. For more information, please visit: https://blakelock.unl.edu. signed lower right, gilt-framed.
Link Auction Galleries
Sep. 21, 2023
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK The Encampment.
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK The Encampment. Oil on panel. 200x246 mm; 7 7/8x9 3/4 inches. Signed in oil, lower right recto. Provenance: Private collection; Washington, D.C.; Private collection, Baltimore.
Swann Auction Galleries
Sep. 14, 2023
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (American, 1847 - 1919). Late Afternoon Landscape, Oil on canvas. Signed "Blakelock" lower left ha
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (American, 1847 - 1919). Late Afternoon Landscape, Oil on canvas. Signed "Blakelock" lower left hand corner. Unframed. - 6 x 8 inches
Sloans & Kenyon
Sep. 14, 2023
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (New York/California, 1847-1919), Evening silhouettes., Oil on artist board, 10.5" x 12.5". Framed 15.5" x 17.5".
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK New York/California, 1847-1919 Evening silhouettes. Unsigned.
Eldred's
Sep. 14, 2023
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (New York/California, 1847-1919), "Indian Encampment at Sundown"., Oil on canvas, 15" x 28.25". Framed 21.5" x 36".
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
ATTRIBUTED TO RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK New York/California, 1847-1919 "Indian Encampment at Sundown". Unsigned.
Eldred's
Aug. 22, 2023
Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847 - 1919) American
Est: $3,500 - $5,500
Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847 - 1919) Oil on Panel, Signed Lower Right, Measures ( 6 x 8 inches ) w/frame ( 10 x 12 inches ) Born in New York City, Ralph Blakelock earned a reputation for nocturnal, misty scenes, especially moonlit landscapes, large oak trees, and Indian encampments. He also did a small number of floral still lifes. His work has a mysterious quality, which some associated with the type of music he habitually played on the piano during interludes from his painting. Towards the end of his career, his paintings became increasingly haunting, a reflection of his insanity brought on by horrible poverty and his inability to support his family of nine children. He was both a late exponent of the Hudson River School of painting and also of the American West. He also foreshadowed the romantic, visionary, and modern tendencies that marked the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries. This romanticism, especially of escapism, was increasingly pronounced towards the end of his career.
Cutler Bay Auctions
Aug. 22, 2023
Attr. R.A. Blakelock, O/C Native American Encampment
Est: $50 - $5,000
(American 1847-1919), wooded scene with teepee and canoe with Indians, lake or river in background through clearing, indistinct signature lower left. Frame size: 19 1/2" high, 20 3/4" wide. Relined, crazing.
Schwenke Auctioneers
Aug. 05, 2023
Ralph Blakelock (1847-1919) USA, Original Drawing
Est: $600 - $1,200
Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919) USA, Original Drawing. Pen and ink. In an arts and crafts frame. Signed lower right. November 15 - December 2005 at Questroyal Fine Art in New York. Also has a DeAccesion label from the University of Nebraska, Blakelock Inventory #NBI-1892-I Along with an additional Questroyal Fine Art Gallery label, New York, New York where it was acquired. Ralph Albert Blakelock was a romanticist American painter known primarily for his landscape paintings related to the Tonalism movement. Provenance: Questroyal Fine Art Gallery, New York, New York. Overall Size: 10 1/2 x 16 3/8 in. Sight Size: 4 1/2 x 10 1/4 in. #1792 #1
Sarasota Estate Auction
Jul. 16, 2023
Ralph Albert Blakelock - "Moonlight"
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Ralph Albert Blakelock (American, 1847-1919). "Moonlight." Oil on canvas, signed lower left, (7.75 x 10.75 in., sight). Together with the original sales receipt from Robert C. Vose, 559 Boylston Street, Boston, April 22, 1926., the painting no. 7124. Provenance: Private Collection, New Hampshire; Robert C. Vose, Boston, Massachusetts, 1925; Mrs. Lida M. Gutchess, Toledo, Ohio, 1926; by descent to current owner. Frame: 14.75 in., W: 17.875 in., D: 2 in.
Devin Moisan Auctioneers, Inc.
Jul. 08, 2023
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (NY/CA, 1847-1919)
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
"From Dummerston Mountain, W. Brattleboro (Vermont)", oil on academy board, signed lower right, titled verso, depicting young couple seated at overlook of the lake with their cottage down the hill. Label verso from NYC Artist's Supplier Edward Deschaux (at 306 Broadway, his address 1846-1853), housed in what may be the original gold painted low relief gesso frame, OS: 13" x 16 1/2", SS: 7 1/2" x 10 3/4".
Thomaston Place Auction Galleries
Jun. 18, 2023
Attributed to Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919)
Est: $500 - $1,000
Luminous Landscape (as found, needs restoration) 20" x 16", Oil on Canvas, SIgned Lower Right
Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company
Jun. 17, 2023
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK "DEEP SHADOW LANDSCAPE" O/B
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Ralph Albert Blakelock (American 1847-1919), "Deep Shadow Landscape", oil on board depicting a forest landscape in the evening, signed in red at lower right, framed. Approximate dimensions: h. 8.875", w. 12"; frame h. 16.5", w. 19.375", d. 2.25".
Ahlers & Ogletree Inc.
Mar. 05, 2023
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK RIVERSIDE LANDSCAPE OIL ON BOARD
Est: -
Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847 - 1919) Riverside Landscape Oil on Board. signed 'R.A. Blakelock' on lower right. Born in New York City, Ralph Blakelock earned a reputation for nocturnal, misty scenes, especially moonlit landscapes, large oak trees, and Indian encampments. He began his career as a late Hudson River School landscape painter. He made his exhibition debut at the National Academy of Design in 1868, exhibiting there annually until 1873 and sporadically thereafter. Over time he evolved the aesthetic that was to dominate his art: quiet evening scenes with large oak trees silhouetted against a sunset or moonlight glow, often with Indian camps sparkling in the dark beneath. His work is now in over 80 museums worldwide. Artist: Ralph Albert Blakelock Title: Riverside Landscape Medium: Oil on Board Signature Type: Hand Signed Signature Location: Lower Right Site Measurement: 8 x 6 in. Image Keywords: Antique, landscape, American; Ref: BD1782
Bradford's
Mar. 05, 2023
RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK "NOCTURNE" OIL ON CANVAS
Est: -
Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847 - 1919) "Nocturne" Oil on Canvas. signed 'R.A. Blakelock' on lower right. Born in New York City, Ralph Blakelock earned a reputation for nocturnal, misty scenes, especially moonlit landscapes, large oak trees, and Indian encampments. He began his career as a late Hudson River School landscape painter. He made his exhibition debut at the National Academy of Design in 1868, exhibiting there annually until 1873 and sporadically thereafter. Over time he evolved the aesthetic that was to dominate his art: quiet evening scenes with large oak trees silhouetted against a sunset or moonlight glow, often with Indian camps sparkling in the dark beneath. His work is now in over 80 museums worldwide. Artist: Ralph Albert Blakelock Title: "Nocturne" Medium: Oil on Canvas Circa/Year: 1875 Signature Type: Hand Signed Signature Location: Lower Right Site Measurement: 26.25 x 20.25 in. Image Keywords: Antique, landscape, American; Ref: BD1782
Bradford's
Feb. 25, 2023
attributed to RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (American 1847-1919) A PAINTING, "Creek in Cloudy Mountain Landscape," EARLY 20TH CENTURY
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
attributed to RALPH ALBERT BLAKELOCK (American 1847-1919) A PAINTING, "Creek in Cloudy Mountain Landscape," EARLY 20TH CENTURY, oil on trimmed canvas laid to pressed board, signed faintly in monogram, reverse inscribed, "No. 18," on board back and frame; 4 3/4" x 3 1/2", framed 17" x 15 3/4".
Simpson Galleries, LLC