Thomas Chambers 1808-1869

Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Inc., New York.

Minor touchup in lower left corner; craqueleure; cleaned and restretched; possible monogram "T" on tree stump.
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.

In the late 1930's, art dealers Albert Duveen and Norman Hirschl discovered the work of "T. Chambers".  In 1942, Duveen and Hirschl held the exhibition "T. Chambers, Active 1820-1840: First American Modern", at the Macbeth Gallery in New York.

The present example, with a Hirschl & Adler provenance, is one of the many depictions of iconic American sites painted by Thomas Chambers- one of three renditions of Niagara Falls he painted, based on works by Jacques Gerard Milbert (1797-1886) lithographed by Isidore Laurent Deroy.

A closely related example entitled, Niagara Falls, from Above the Canada Bank (c. 1843-1852) is in the collection of Indiana University Art Museum, Bloomington; The Morton and Marie Bradley Memorial Collection (Foster, op.cit., p.50, fig. 3-9).

For further information, see Kathleen A. Foster, Thomas Chambers, American Marine and Landscape Painter, 1808-1869, (Yale University  Press, New Haven, 2008).