Lot 99: JOHN LEWIS KRIMMEL (German / American 1786-1821) STUDY FOR VILLAGE TAVERN

JOHN LEWIS KRIMMEL
<>(German / American 1786-1821)

STUDY FOR VILLAGE TAVERN
oil on panel
8 5/16 x 11 3/8 in. (21.1 x 28.9 cm).

Provenance:
The artist, from 1814 to 1821; Krimmel's estate sale, August 14, 1821, described as 'scene in a country tavern during the late war, oil, unfinished;' Victor Spark, 1930s to circa 1940 (Naeve p. 99, no. 58); Private Collection.

Exhibited:
Naeve traces the finished painting, for which this is a study, to Boston in 1821 (p. 74) and therefore concludes that the following references to Philadelphia exhibits are to the study (Naeve p. 99, no. 58);

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Eleventh Annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, No. 413, as 'A Village Tavern - the Arrival of the Mail with the News of Peace, 1815' 1822.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Thirteenth Annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, No. 126, as 'A Country Tavern - the Arrival of the Post with the News of Peace,' 1824.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Fourteenth Annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, No. 241, as 'A Country Tavern - The Arrival of the Post with the News of Peace,' 1825.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Fifteenth Annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, No. 145 as 'The Arrival of the Post, at the Village Tavern, with the News of Peace,' 1826.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sixteenth annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, No. 509, as 'Village Tavern - Arrival of the Post with News of Peace,' 1827.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Seventeenth Annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, No. 327, as 'Village Tavern - Arrival of the Post with News of Peace, 1828.

Literature:
'Relf's Philadelphia Gazette and Daily Advertiser,' Philadelphia, August 7, 1821 as being in Krimmel's estate.

'Poulson's american Daily Advertiser,' Philadelphia, from August 7 - 14, 1821 as being in Krimmel's estate.

Milo M. Naeve, 'John Lewis Krimmel, An Artist in Federal America,' Newark, Delaware, 1987, pp. 99, 203, 204, as 'Village Tavern (Study),' No. 58.>Anneliese Harding, 'John Lewis Krimmel, Genre Artist of the Early Republic,' Winterthur, Delaware, 1994, pp. 59-65, 72, 90, 111, 222, 227, 231, 232, 243, 244, 248, illustrated figure 103, p. 63.

Commentary:
The scholarly attribution of this work to Krimmel was first made by Naeve (p. 99, no. 58). Mr. Naeve has inspected the work in person. A commentary by him, stating that in his opinion the work is by Krimmel, is available at Freeman's.

Anneliese Harding accepts the attribution of this work to Krimmel in her book, 'John Lewis Krimmel, Genre Artist of the Early Republic.' She has inspected color photographs of the work. A letter by her, stating that in her opinion the work is by Krimmel, is available at Freeman's.

The present lot is a half-scale sketch for the finished painting in the Toledo Museum of Art, entitled 'Village Tavern,' 1814, oil on canvas, 16 7/8 x 22 1/2 in. In the Toledo version, the bar has been moved to the right, additional wall space is between the open door at left and the bar, and additional posters are on the back wall, which appear to depict U. S. naval victories in the War of 1812. Still earlier compositional studies are in Krimmel's Sketchbook 7, at Winterthur (Naeve p. 180).

Naeve notes that Krimmel intended the present work as a sketch to experiment with the composition. He observes that the subject has been incorrectly identified with bringing news of peace in the War of 1812. Naeve, however, proves this identification to be inaccurate by observing that the final painting was executed by May 1814, but that the peace treaty was not signed and ratified until December of that year (Naeve, 'Krimmel,' p. 74).

Anneliese Harding writes... 'This study in oil must have been made to resolve the figure composition and the use of colors and light.' (a letter from Anneliese Harding to the owner).

Taverns in early 19th century America served as a meeting place and as a center for information - the tavern depicted also serves as a U. S. Post Office, and the figure entering the left is a postal carrier (see Richard R. John and Thomas C. Leonard, 'The Illusion of the Ordinary: John Lewis Krimmel's Village Tavern and the Democratization of the Public Life in the Early Republic,' 'Pennsylvania History,' 65, Winter 1998, pp. 87-96).

We wish to that Anneliese Harding and Milo Naeve for their assistance in cataloging this lot.

In appreciation of Mr. Naeve's contribution to this entry a donation in his name has been made, at his request, by the consignor, to the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, a program for emerging artists.
Estimate $20,000-30,000