George Faulkner Wetherbee (American, 1851-1920) The year's at the Spring, the day's at the morn signed 'George Wetherbee' (lower right) oil on canvas 76 x 94cm (29 15/16 x 37in). Footnotes: Provenance With Waterhouse & Dodd, 19th and 20th Century Paintings, London. Anon. sale, Sotheby's, Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, 1 September 1999, lot 1305. Private collection, UK. Exhibited London, Royal Academy, 1904, no. 88. Auckland, Auckland City Art Gallery, no. MU148. George Faulkner Wetherbee was a transatlantic painter whose career flourished in Britain, where he became known for his refined pastoral scenes and poetic evocations of rural life. Born in Cincinnati in December 1850, his early artistic promise led him to Europe to pursue formal training. He studied first in Antwerp before continuing his education in London, subsequently travelling widely on the continent and making frequent visits to the West Indies, whose light and atmosphere further informed his sensitivity to colour. Wetherbee settled in London in the 1880s, living in Belsize Park and Hampstead, where he became part of the city's thriving artistic community. His growing reputation culminated in recognition by prominent London art societies, and he was elected a member of both the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI) and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI). His compositions evoke an idealised vision of the countryside, imbued with serenity and gentle sentiment. Although he also produced more commercial rustic subjects during the 1890s, his most popular works are distinguished by their poetic atmosphere and palette. The Year's at the Spring, the Day's at the Morn is characteristic of his style. The delicate light suffusing the landscape, the tender interaction between the two girls and their flock, and the expansive calm of the setting together create a vision of pastoral innocence and renewal. Wetherbee's subtle modulation of tone and his mastery of luminous colour lend the scene a quiet lyricism, perfectly in keeping with the optimism suggested by the title. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing