Francois Lafon

(French, 1846-1920)

Untitled (Gathering Sticks), 1882

oil on canvas

Signed lower right, dated lower left; an affixed paper label reading' 53' lower left; the back of the frame with A. Hubert Doreur Encadreur stamp.

27 3/4 x 14 1/4 inches, sight size; 36 1/4 x 22 1/2 inches, framed.

From the Collection of Nelson R. DeMille

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Size
27 3/4 x 14 1/4 inches, sight size; 36 1/4 x 22 1/2 inches, framed.

Condition
The canvas overall with craquelure. The frame with some age and construction cracks, re-gilt. 36 1/4 x 22 1/2 inches, framed.

Signature
Signed lower right, dated lower left; an affixed paper label reading' 53' lower left; the back of the frame with A. Hubert Doreur Encadreur stamp.

Provenance
Freeman’s is honored to present the private collection of the celebrated novelist Nelson R. DeMille. A proud Long Island resident and U.S. Army veteran, DeMille’s first major novel, By the Rivers of Babylon, was published in 1978 and over the following decades, he authored more than thirty novels and short stories. His celebrated John Corey series, launched with Plum Island in 1997, became a mainstay of modern thriller fiction, while The General’s Daughter achieved additional acclaim through its major film adaptation starring John Travolta.Warm, incisive, and unfailingly generous with his time, DeMille was an active and beloved presence within the Authors Guild community for more than forty years and served as president of the Mystery Writers of America. An advocate to all, his passing marked the loss of not only a master storyteller, but a tireless mentor and champion of writers’ and their rights.The collection presented here reflects the discernment, curiosity, and richly lived life of a man whose stories defined a genre. We are pleased to offer collectors this unique opportunity to acquire works from the personal world of Nelson R. DeMille—objects that accompanied one of America’s great literary voices throughout a remarkable career.We invite you to explore these pieces—not merely as objects of provenance, but as elements of a distinctive story: the life and legacy of Nelson R. DeMille.