Description
Gifford Beal (American, 1879-1956). Oil on board double-sided painting, verso depicting a winter landscape featuring a crowd of figures against a snowy hillside and New York skyline along the background; recto titled "Circus at the Hippodrome," 1925. Depicting a lively performance inside the historic New York Hippodrome rendered in the American Impressionist style. Featuring an equestrian act balancing atop two white horses, spot lit by dynamic stage lighting while a ringmaster directs the pace along the right. A cluster of circus clowns and a man wearing a top-hat observe the show from the wings along the lower right foreground. Signed and dated along the lower center. With a Hammer Galleries label adhered along the lower left verso; also with a partial Kraushaar Galleries label and partial institute label adhered along the upper left verso.
Exhibited: Traveling Exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1941; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, 1949; Storm King Art Center, New York, "Gifford Beal," 1968; Kraushaar Galleries, New York, "A Centennial Exhibition," 1979.
Provenance: Hammer Galleries, New York, NY, January 26, 1988; The Distinguished Collection of Leo & Doris Hodroff.
Lot Essay:
Gifford Beal was an American printmaker, painter and muralist, born in New York City on January 24, 1879. He gained national recognition in the early twentieth century for his warmly lit depictions of American landscapes, urban scenes, and lively views of everyday life. Born into a prominent New York family, he was the younger brother of artist Reynolds Beal. Together, the brothers studied with the celebrated Impressionist William Merritt Chase at the Shinnecock Hills Summer School of Art before Beal continued his education at Princeton University and the Art Students League of New York.
Under Chase's guidance, Beal mastered the Impressionist technique of capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, a quality that remained central to his work throughout his career. As his style evolved, his subjects expanded from serene coastal landscapes and monumental figures to bustling New York freight yards, vibrant circus performances, and theatrical productions. Beal was especially drawn to the energy, movement, and brilliant color of circuses and theaters, using expressive brushwork and luminous light to capture the excitement and spectacle of these popular entertainments.
Friend and fellow painter Barry Faulkner observed that Beal's paintings celebrated "the eternal pleasures of work and leisure, the casual enjoyable incidents which add so much to life's richness." This appreciation for ordinary moments infused his work with warmth and vitality.
Beal's talent earned early recognition, and by the age of twenty-two he was exhibiting nationally. Today, his work is represented in many of the nation's most distinguished collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri.
Unframed; height: 30 in x width: 40 in. Framed; height: 42 in x width: 51 1/2 in x depth: 4 1/4 in.
Exhibited: Traveling Exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1941; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, 1949; Storm King Art Center, New York, "Gifford Beal," 1968; Kraushaar Galleries, New York, "A Centennial Exhibition," 1979.
Provenance: Hammer Galleries, New York, NY, January 26, 1988; The Distinguished Collection of Leo & Doris Hodroff.
Lot Essay:
Gifford Beal was an American printmaker, painter and muralist, born in New York City on January 24, 1879. He gained national recognition in the early twentieth century for his warmly lit depictions of American landscapes, urban scenes, and lively views of everyday life. Born into a prominent New York family, he was the younger brother of artist Reynolds Beal. Together, the brothers studied with the celebrated Impressionist William Merritt Chase at the Shinnecock Hills Summer School of Art before Beal continued his education at Princeton University and the Art Students League of New York.
Under Chase's guidance, Beal mastered the Impressionist technique of capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, a quality that remained central to his work throughout his career. As his style evolved, his subjects expanded from serene coastal landscapes and monumental figures to bustling New York freight yards, vibrant circus performances, and theatrical productions. Beal was especially drawn to the energy, movement, and brilliant color of circuses and theaters, using expressive brushwork and luminous light to capture the excitement and spectacle of these popular entertainments.
Friend and fellow painter Barry Faulkner observed that Beal's paintings celebrated "the eternal pleasures of work and leisure, the casual enjoyable incidents which add so much to life's richness." This appreciation for ordinary moments infused his work with warmth and vitality.
Beal's talent earned early recognition, and by the age of twenty-two he was exhibiting nationally. Today, his work is represented in many of the nation's most distinguished collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri.
Unframed; height: 30 in x width: 40 in. Framed; height: 42 in x width: 51 1/2 in x depth: 4 1/4 in.
Condition
There appear to be small areas of inpainting throughout the work that fluoresce under UV light, mainly along the edges. There is a small, horizontal split to the board along the upper center, measuring approximately two inches in length. There is no undulation to the board. Light wear to the frame.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Gifford Beal "Circus at the Hippodrome" Painting
Estimate $40,000-$60,000
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$20,000
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This auction is curated by:
Sean BlanchetAsian Art Specialist
Robert SnellPaintings and Sculpture Specialist
The Leo & Doris Hodroff Collection: Fine Arts
Sep 15, 2026, 11:00 AM EDTSt. Paul, MN, United States
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