Study for Famous Block Print, Christmas Belles. Oil on canvas. There appears to have the faint initial "W" on sled. The piece looks to have had some minor older repairs and to to have been re-lined at some point, overall excellent condition. There is some writing on verso, but illegible, otherwise not signed or dated. 36" w x 24"h. A copy of the original Harper's Weekly, Jan 2, 1869 page featuring Winslow's Christmas Belles is included with this lot. Est. $5,000-10,000. Ship: $200 We received an email suggesting that this piece is probably not the work of Winslow Homer, but rather the work of either Thomas Kirby Van Zandt or his son William Garrett Van Zandt of Albany. 1) Thomas Kirby Van Zandt, (1814-1886) born in New Scotland, Albany County, New York in 1814, was a well-known painter of the horses of wealthy New Yorkers, including Leland Stanford. The Stanford Museum has a half dozen of T.K. Van Zandt's work in its collection. In 1859 he was awarded a silver medallion for "Best Animal Painting in Oil" by the New York State Agricultural Society. His son, William Garrett Van Zandt, was also known for his equine subjects. A second son, Bleecker (1855-1915) was a sculptor. Thomas Kirby Van Zandt died in 1886. Or ... 2) William Garrett Van Zandt (1857-1942) was born 1857 and died in 1942, having lived his entire life in the Albany, New York area. He was the son of Thomas Kirby Van Zandt (1814-1886), a more well-known painter of the horses of wealthy New Yorkers, including Leland Stanford. The Stanford Museum has a half dozen of T.K. Van Zandt's work in its collection.

The piece looks to have had some minor older repairs and to to have been re-lined at some point, overall excellent condition.