Francis Augustus Silva
(American, 1835-1886)
"Autumn Afternoon on the New England Coast", 1886
oil on canvas
signed and dated lower right, and bearing an artist plaque with title; a "Guarisco Gallery" label en verso.
Framed.
42" x 58", framed 56" x 72"

Provenance: Christie's, New York, December 4, 1992, lot 228; Guarisco Gallery, Washington, D.C.

Note: Francis Augustus Silva made the American seashore his principal subject, bringing to the genre a distinctive sensitivity to atmosphere and light. In the present lot, Autumn Afternoon on the New England Coast, the central waves guide the eye toward a distant coastline, while a luminous sky dominates the composition. The distant sailboats add an understated sense of human presence to the scene, though the emphasis remains firmly on the interplay of sea, sky and light. The subtle variations of color, as well as Silva's ability to convey spatial depth, exemplify the qualities associated with Luminism, particularly its interest in atmospheric clarity and the contemplative yet powerful experience of nature.

However, Silva was not simply a Luminist painter; his work is equally rooted in the nineteenth-century American marine tradition. His careful observation of ships, surf, shoreline and weather gives the scene physicality, while his handling of light elevates the observed seascape into something more evocative. Here, the buoyant movement of the waves is held in balance by the stillness of the distant horizon, creating a characteristic tension between natural force and atmospheric serenity. It is this synthesis of marine observation and luminous poetic effect that distinguishes Autumn Afternoon on the New England Coast as one of Silva's finest coastal paintings.

Previously restored and relined. Surface dirt. Toning of the varnish layer. Darker colors fluoresce under UV light. Small, scattered areas of inpainting throughout upper half. Larger area of inpainting upper left (sky). Frame with areas of possible restoration in the corners, nicks, abrasions, and surface marks.
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