William Bradford 1823-1892

Phillips, New York, circa 1988
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale

Very good condition; unlined, under UV: some minor retouches in upper right corner, dime size spot in water at lower right, some other minor retouches, primarily in sky.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

"As an artist, the most striking aspect of Bradford's career lies in his long pursuit of the peculiar qualities that light and color assume in the atmosphere of the high northern latitudes. In this vast frozen world, with its spectacular sunsets, its play of light on pack ice and berg, its bleak colors, Bradford found substance for the paintings that gained him fame in his own lifetime. Not by accident, his single-minded quest 'to study Nature under the terrible aspects of the frigid zone' matched a 'polar passion' that had seized the imagination of the Anglo-American world in the decade of the 1850s. Out of this Victorian fascination with a succession of expeditions—some in search of the lost fleet of Sir John Franklin, others seeking passage through an open polar sea—Bradford emerges as the Arctic's most creative and enduring chronicler" (Richard Kugler and Frederick P. Walkey, William Bradford, 1823-1892, 1969, p. 3).  Bradford began making trips to the Labrador coast in the mid-1850s, returning to the area regularly over the following decades. On his voyages, Bradford recorded his scenes in drawings, as well as wash and oil sketches, from which he would produce large oil paintings in his studio.