MORSTON CONSTANTINE REAM
United States, 1840-1898
Still Life of Six Peaches in a Porcelain and Glass Bowl with a Knife
Oil on canvas | unsigned | circa 1880
Item # 403EDF06S
An
exquisite still-life rich with texture, color and brilliant use of
light. This tranquil scene features six peaches in a beautifully
decorated ceramic bowl with a translucent glass rim resting on a table
covered in two layers of cloths. The first has a a pearl color with a
greek-key border, overall having a silky sheen and a chaotic fringe
edge; the second is a green fabric with geometric patterns. Along the
side of the bowl is situated a pearl handled bread knife, something of a
hallmark for Morston Ream, as he used several styles of pearl-handled
knives in almost this exact orientation for several of his paintings.
For a nearly identical knife and placement, see Christie's, New York, 3
March 2011, lot 76 ("Fine American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture"),
10" x 11 3/4", achieved $ 8750. Another example with identical angling
of the knife sold at Doyle, New York, 2 November 2021, lot 71 [achieved $
4250].
A solitary bead drips from the center peach as a fly stands perched at the top.
The
work is unsigned, but is without any question the work of Ream. It
likely dates between 1880 and 1888, as the original frame had a label on
it from Thomas A. Wilmurt, a well-established framing and looking glass
company in New York City that moved to its 54 East 13th Street premises
noted on the label around 1880. Images of that label and the original
frame from when this painting was offered at Tremont Auctions of
Sudbury, Massachusetts (lot 209, 25 April 2021) will be included with
the information packet our gallery provides.
ARTIST
Born
in Lancaster, Ohio in 1840, Morston Constantine Ream was the younger
brother of Carducius Plantagenet Ream (American, 1837-1917), an artist
who became at least as famous as Morston for his brilliant fruit
pictures. Morston began painting in the late 1860s, leaving his career
as a daguerreotypist for fear it was damaging to his health. He
exhibited extensively, his first exhibit recorded at the National
Academy in 1872 while he was living at 56 Bank Street in the west part
of Greenich Village in New York City. He listed his address at Union
Square in Philadelphia from 1876 through 1882 when he listed his address
as 862 Broadway. He began sending paintings to the exhibitions at the
Art Institute of Chicago in 1888, then listing his address as 1244
Broadway in New York City, but by 1896 he had moved to Chicago to live
at 558 50th Street. He actively sent paintings to the major exhibitions,
regularly exhibiting at the National Academy from 1872 through 1883,
sending paintings to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1876 and
1881, as well as exhibiting at Moore’s Art Rooms and the Brooklyn Art
Association. He died in 1898 at 58 years of age in New York City.
Similar market examples:
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
Measurements: 11 5/8" H x 15 5/8" W x 7/8" D [frame liner]; 10 1/8" H x 14 1/4" W [canvas]
Condition Report:
Restored
by our conservator [removed discolored varnish, cleaned surface grime,
sealed in preliminary varnish layer, treated losses with a very light
inpaint to the overcleaned portion of the painting, replaced missing
key, keyed out canvas for a tight presentation, sealed in traditional
damar varnish]; moderate craquleure to the lower left corner; under
ultra violet examination: the surface is largely obscured by later
applications of varnish, inpainting present to the left of the leftmost
peach, a few spots of retouch to the lower left corner in the fabric and
in the craquelure lower left; some thinness to the pearl colored cloth
and associated inpaintings (note the reddish hue coming through); edge
touchups around all sides where the frame rubs; spot of inpaint to the
lower right corner where the fabric lost some of its texture and color;
paint is a bit thin around the plinth of the bowl; the painting is in
its original giltwood liner, but the frame is absent - our information
packet on the painting will include photographs of the original frame
including close up images of the framer's label. A very fine
presentation, ready to place.