Edward Emerson Simmons (American, 1852-1931) , "Hattiesburg, Miss", 1920, oil on canvas board, signed and dated lower left, signed, titled and dated en verso, inscribed on backing board, 12 in. x 16 in., framed. Note: Edward Emerson Simmons was born in Concord, Massachusetts, and was distantly related to prominent writer Ralph Waldo Emerson. After winning an award at the Académie Julian in Paris in 1881, he lived in Concarneau, working in the style of the Impressionists and winning an honorable mention at the Paris Salon of 1882. Simmons returned to America in 1891 to complete a commission for a pair of stained-glass windows for Harvard’s Memorial Hall. He then decided to devote himself to mural painting, preferring the public aspect of it over easel painting for its greater exposure, impact and permanence. Over the next two decades, he received commissions for projects in important new buildings across the United States. In 1898, Simmons joined The Ten American Painters on invitation from his friend and fellow member, Childe Hassam. Like other members of the group, Simmons painted in an Impressionist style often plein-air landscapes, urban views and interior genre scenes. However, he exhibited only rarely with The Ten, preferring to paint murals. As a result, his paintings, many depicting his frequent travels throughout Europe and the United States, are rare discoveries today. The late riverscape offered here of Hattiesburg, Mississippi bears the hallmarks of a mature and skilled Impressionist with its visible brushstrokes, reflection of sunlight on the water and perfectly captured feeling of humid southern air.

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