Edmond Darch Lewis (1835-1910) American, Hudson River Landscape with Sailboats. Oil on canvas. Dated and signed indistinctly lower right. Relined, restored. Signature appears to have been previously overpainted. Condition as pictured; Commensurate with age.

One of the most prolific and commercially successful American landscape painters of the late nineteenth century, Edmund Darch Lewis rendered crisply realistic images of shorelines, waterways, and rural scenes in the northeast that received popular acclaim during his era. Lewis was born in Philadelphia. At age fifteen, he began to study art, enrolling in a private class with Paul Weber. His initial works were landscapes and marine views, focusing on the Lehigh, Susquehana, and Wissahickon Rivers of Pennsylvania. These paintings were described in the Philadelphia Public Ledger as demonstrating "a tremendous talent, great freedom from tradition," and they "promised a departure from the beaten tracks."Lewis's art was in high demand from the beginning of his career and he established a national following. Although he became best known for scenes of Philadelphia, Lewis also rendered views of New York, New England, and even Cuba. Later in his career, his focus shifted to shorelines of Cape May, New Jersey, and Narragansett, Rhode Island. He frequently depicted schooners drifting in calm waters, churning mills, and hidden cottages. Lewis favored watercolor but also used oils and gouache.

Overall Size: 29 3/8 x 43 1/2 in.

Sight Size: 21 3/8 x 35 1/2 in. 

Condition as pictured; Commensurate with age.