Lot 166
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Anonymous Folk Artist, United States, New England, New Hampshire, ca. 1870. A hand-painted New England wooden fireboard comprised of two painted boards that are hinged together and present two distinct picturesque landscapes rendered in a folk art manner. On the right, the artist painted a charming rural New Hampshire hamlet blanketed with snow in the wintertime with a quaint home featuring glowing firelight and smoke plumes rising from its chimneys. In contrast, on the left, the artist painted a rather unusual landscape that includes both European and Latin American elements - cottages with steep pitched roofs and a stone bridge across the river suggesting a European locale as well as lush foliage and tropical mountain peaks suggesting a Latin American locale - perhaps a fantasy for an armchair traveler of the period. Size: 36.125" L x 36.625" W (91.8 cm x 93 cm)
During the summertime, when fireplaces were not in use, 19th century homeowners would place a decorative fireboard or chimney board like this example in front of their hearths. These attractive painted boards safeguarded the living area from dust, soot, as well as the occasional flying bird and simultaneously enlivened the room with painted seascapes, street scenes, still lifes, and landscapes like this example.
One can view lovely 19th century fireboards in museum collections such as that of The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. An online article by Donna Seger features the following fireboards from the museum: "View of Court House Square" by George Washington Felt, ca. 1810 to 1820; "View of Beverly" by an anonymous American artist, ca. 1800 to 1820 (from the Safford House); "The Great Gale" of 1846 by William Thompson Bartoll; "A Distant View of Chatsworth, Derbyshire, England" by Michel Felice Corne, ca. 1800 (from the Bertram K. Little and Nina Fletcher Little Collection auction at Sothebys, January 29, 1994). The article goes on to state that fireboards are quite coveted by collectors and have fetched impressive prices at auction: "a mid-eighteenth century board featuring the John Hancock House in Boston went for over $600,000 at a Sothebys auction (against an estimate of $150,000-$250,000), but this is a very early and apparently very special piece. The trompe l'oeil louvered fireboard depicting an idyllic landscape was probably made in Philadelphia around 1810-40: it sold for $60,000 in 2005 and is now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston."
A few comparable examples of note: A 19th c. folk art painted fireboard sold for $70,000 at Bonhams Skinner American Furniture & Decorative Arts auction 2308/Boston - February 19, 2006 (Lot 104). A 19th century painted fireboard sold for $10,000 at Christie's January 22, 2015 (Lot 12). A painted canvas fireboard sold for $7200 at Cowan's on October 6, 2018 (Lot 876).
Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010
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#174760
- Condition: Age cracks, scattered abrasions, scuffs, and paint losses as shown. However, the imagery and coloration are still strong. Wood shows a wonderful age patina on the unpainted verso. Hinges work nicely. A label on the verso reads, "New Hampshire Fireboard ca. 1870 $5500".
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |