Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
untitled (Teel's fish-house, Port Clyde, Maine)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: ca. 1923 / 1924
Dimensions:
32 × 40 in. (81.3 × 101.6 cm)
Collection of Linda L. Bean
Accession number: SUPP2000.2231
Research Number: NCW: 2231
InscribedOn bottom stretcher, in Andrew Wyeth's hand: THIS WAS PAINTED BY / N. C. WYETH; stretchers stamped: Made by / WADSWORTH HOWLAND & CO. INC / Boston, Mass.
ProvenanceThe artist; Mrs. N. C. Wyeth to at least 1950, and sold at an unknown date; (?); (Somerville Manning Gallery, Greenville, DE, 1997)
Exhibition HistoryPortland, ME, 2000, fig. 15 p. 26, as "untitled (Sumner Teel's Fish-house, Port Clyde)"
References
Richard Layton, "Inventory of Paintings in the Wyeth Studio, 1950," unpublished, Wyeth Family Archives, p. 89; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, Catalogue Raisonne of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), L.151, p. 748
Curatorial RemarksThe work is accompanied by a letter from Andrew Wyeth which reads, "This oil painting was painted 1930 / by my father N. C. WYETH in PORT CLYDE MAINE / Walter Teel's fishhouse looking toward Horse Point where my fathers house "Eight Bells" (underlined) stands / Andrew Wyeth / Walter's wife (underlined) holding Baby Alice (underlined) / Walter Teel is the brother of Henry Teel / who was a friend of N. C. and Andrew Wyeth." Walter Elbridge Teel had one daughter Gwendolyn who was born in 1922; that suggests a date of circa 1923, a date that corresponds stylistically to work Wyeth did in Needham between 1921 and 1923, particularly NCW 1213. The stamp of a Boston art materials supplier which appears on the stretcher bars also occurs on other work Wyeth did at this time.
William Sumner Teel, another brother of Henry Teel, had a daughter Alice born in Jan. 1926. If the painting does indeed depict William's wife and daughter, the painting would have been executed later, about 1927 or 1928.
William Sumner Teel, another brother of Henry Teel, had a daughter Alice born in Jan. 1926. If the painting does indeed depict William's wife and daughter, the painting would have been executed later, about 1927 or 1928.
Image Source for printed Catalogue Raisonne:transparency directly from artwork
Photo Credit:Courtesy of Linda L. Bean