ROBERT SALMON (Massachusetts, 1775-1844), "Scene at Squantan"., Oil on artist board, 10" x 12.5". Framed 16.25" x 18.5".

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The Marine Sale: Session II

By Eldred's

Aug 8, 2025

Set Reminder 2025-08-08 09:30:00 2025-08-08 09:30:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Marine Sale: Session II https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/eldreds/the-marine-sale-session-ii-20128
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• Lot Description
  ROBERT SALMON
  Massachusetts, 1775-1844
  "Scene at Squantan". Depicts an American flag atop Squaw Rock, located at the tip of Squantum Peninsula in Quincy, Massachusetts, within Boston Harbor. Figures are climbing the bedrock and an old wreck is heeled over at its base. In the distance, a grand building overlooks sailboats anchored in a cove. Signed and dated lower right "R.S. 1836". Signed and inscribed "No. 822" verso. Other notations indicate Salmon spent two days painting the work and sold it for $9 at a Boston auction. Old handwritten label verso "Painted by Robert Salmon Squantum". Other labels verso for Hendrickson, Doll & Richards, Boston, and Quester Gallery, Stonington, Connecticut.
  Oil on artist board, 10" x 12.5". Framed 16.25" x 18.5".
  
  Provenance:
  Collection of George Lewis, Sherborn, Massachusetts.
  
  Reference:
  A similar Salmon painting dated 1843 is included in Flying the Colors: The Unseen Treasures of Nineteenth Century American Marine Art by Alan Granby and Janice Hyland (Mystic, Ct.: Mystic Seaport, 2009), p. 9 and 37.
  
  This work is listed in Robert Salmon: Painter of Ship and Shore by John Wilmerding (Salem, Mass.: Peabody Museum, 1971) in Appendix A, p. 95.
  
  Notes:
  Robert Salmon kept a journal from 1807 to July 1840 where he listed most of his paintings by number, running chronologically from low to high, beginning with No. 1 and ending with No. 999. He typically would include the painting's size, title and number of days it took to paint, and if he sold it, he would sometimes include the price. He often, but not always, wrote the corresponding journal number on the back of the painting. A copy of the original journal is in the collection of the Boston Public Library.
  
  Robert Salmon painted between 300 and 400 paintings while in America and became known as the "Father of American Luminism". His distinct use of color and his manner of portraying waves, atmospheric skies, boats and figures are on display in this work: the linear waves ripple in the foreground and are far more placid around the vessels nestled in the cove, the serene blue sky is tinged with pink and white, and the water drips from the oars on the vessel in the foreground. The red on the shirt in the sailor standing at the bow is repeated in the flag flying from the mast, the stripes of the American flag, and the pennant flying from the mast of a distant sailboat, providing signposts for the viewer's eye as it observes the ingeniously detailed scene in its entirety.
  
  According to legend, Squaw Rock marks the location where Myles Standish landed with Tisquantum, also known as "Squanto", his Native American guide, in 1621. The rock formation resembled the profile of a person's face and was a place of spiritual significance to the Native population. A cairn monument marking Standish's trip still stands in the recreational park surrounding the rock, which has recently been renamed Nickerson Rock.

  Condition

  The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction. 
• Shipping Info

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