THOMAS CHAMBERS
New York/England, 1808-1866/1869
The U.S.S. Ohio in Boston Harbor, with Governors Island in the distance. Stern view of the two-decker man-of-war proudly flying a bold American flag. The pilot boat at center is dropping its mainsail and the Royal Mail Steamer Hibernia is leaving port, bound for Liverpool.
Oil on canvas, 21" x 30". Framed 27.5" x 36.5".

Provenance:
Hirschl & Adler, New York.
Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, sale date unknown, Lot #829.
Marguerite Riordan, Stonington, Connecticut, September 1, 1993.
The Collection of Nancy & Larry Dickson.

Reference:
A similar example is featured on the cover and as figure 1-12 in Thomas Chambers: American Marine and Landscape Painter, 1808-1869 by Kathleen A. Foster (New Haven, Ct.: Philadelphia Museum of Art / Yale University Press, 2008).

Notes:
Thomas Chambers was born in Whitby, England in 1808 to working class parents. Little is known of his artistic training, but it is assumed he gained some knowledge from his older brother, George Chambers (1803-1840), who, although also untaught, had achieved a level of success as a painter of maritime scenes.

In 1832 Thomas Chambers emigrated to America, landing in New Orleans but eventually drifting north, residing for a time in Albany, New York and Boston. While he supported himself as an artist, he did not appear to have representation, but rather sold his paintings, often unsigned, through various auction rooms. Auction records prove he was selling his work in this fashion as early as 1837. While he proved his merit as an artist, his business skills were less honed and he eventually returned home to Whitby, penniless. He would die there in 1869, and his work was largely forgotten.

Decades later Americana collectors began to uncover these wonderfully vibrant landscapes and marine scenes with bright, flat colors and form-based natural elements. They began to realize the work must be by the same hand, but because Chambers rarely signed his paintings, his identity remained a mystery. It was not until a lucky discovery in 1942, when a signed example surfaced, that the mystery was solved. A show at New York's Macbeth Gallery ensued and Chambers' works have been actively collected since.

Painted in the mid-1840s when Chambers lived in Boston, "Boston Harbor" remains one of the artist's most iconic and popular works. Unlike several of his paintings that were copies of popular engravings by William Bartlett, "Boston Harbor" is an original composition by Chambers. Kathleen Foster notes Chambers painted at least five known versions of the scene, one of which she included on the cover of her book, Thomas Chambers: American Marine and Landscape Painter, 1808-1869. Each version exhibits the same key elements: the stern section of the U.S.S. "Ohio" and the rippling American flag at right, Governors Island in the center distance, and the "Hibernia" leaving port in the distant right. The other vessels filling the harbor differ in each version, which Foster speculates may be a way Chambers personalized each painting for his buyers.

Canvas has been relined. Although the painting presents well under natural light, UV examination reveals some very small spots of paint restoration, mostly around the edges. Several scattered tiny spots of paint flaking, showing as white spots. Some very minor craquelure evident. 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.