THEODORE ALEXANDER WEBER (GERMAN-FRENCH, 1838-1907) MARINE PAINTING, oil on canvas, possibly Normandy at the harbor of Fecamp along the English Channel, an energetic scene depicting sailing vessels by a long wooden pier on a blustery day, huddled figures on the plank walkway, signed lower right, unlined, on likely original stretchers. Housed in a 19th-century gilt frame with extensive molded-composition ornament. Circa 1870. 18 1/4" x 29 1/2" sight, 30 1/2" x 42" OA.
Painting in excellent condition with very minor surface abrasions at extreme sight edges. Frame good with minor wear and areas of restoration to painted surface.
Provenance: From a private Virginia collection.
From the James Pennypacker estate, Reading, PA.
Catalogue Note: Theodore Alexander Weber (1838-1907) was a noted marine painter of the second half of the 19th century. Born in Germany, Weber journeyed to Berlin as a 16-year old to study under leading painter of the day, Wilhelm August Leopold Christian Krause (1803-1864). After two years under Krause's tutelage, the artist moved to France, marking the beginning of what would become a long career as a successful marine and landscape painter. Weber exhibited regularly and often produced illustrations for various publications of the era. Recognized as a leading artist of the era, he was awarded a bronze medal at the Paris Exposition Universalle in 1900. The present lot demonstrates the artist's keen ability to capture the varying moods of the ocean. In this case, the raw, lurking power of nature is magnified against human attempts to control it.

Painting in excellent condition with very minor surface abrasions at extreme sight edges. Frame good with minor wear and areas of restoration to painted surface.