Frederick Carl Frieseke (American, 1874-1939)

Dress of 1860
Signed and dated "F.C. Frieseke/32" c.l., titled on an exhibition label from Berry-Hill Galleries, New York, (see below) affixed to the frame backing.
Oil on canvas, 32 x 32 in. (81.3 x 81.3 cm), unframed.
Condition: Small areas of retouch near center (on figure's chin) and to cover frame abrasions, some natural pigment fluorescence.

Provenance: By descent in the family of the artist.

Exhibitions: One Hundred Twenty-Eighth Annual Exhibition, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, January 29-March 19, 1933 (purportedly); Frederick C. Frieseke: Women in Repose, Berry-Hill Galleries, New York, May 2-June 23, 1990.

N.B. This stunning example of Frederick Carl Frieseke's mature style captures his unique combination of loose, Impressionist brushwork, detailed attention to pattern, and careful description of the human form. Unlike Frieseke's depiction of nude female figures, this luxuriously clad model gazes directly at the viewer. Her strong, confrontational pose contradicts the typically modest demeanors of Frieseke's figures who, even if clothed, often focus on domestic activities like sewing or piano playing, or are engaged in activities of grooming or dressing.

Condition: The retouch on the figure's chin consists of some thin, vertical, broken parallel lines measuring about 2 inches high overall with one horizontal area at the top. These are not visible in natural light. There are also some horizontal lines along the bottom edge at the center and right that seem to be mitigating some minor frame abrasion. There is some natural fluorescence that shows up under UV light in the green pigment in the wall paper along the top edge and in the birds in the cage.

Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner Inc. shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.