Late 19th century black and white etching titled "A Wayside Conversation" by Ernest Christian Rost. Landscape showing a figure on a horse speaking to a man with a dog near a small cottage on a country road. Remake of a country road, lower left. "Etched by Ernest C. Rost" printed, lower right. Published by Fishel, Adler & Schwartz, New York. Wood frame with silver gilt detail; white mat.

Ernest Christian Rost - American, 1866 - 1940 - Ernest was born January 20, 1866, at Mt. Vernon, N.Y. and was probably the son of Christan Rost (a locally known engraver) and Minna M. Rost. Nothing is known of his childhood except he was the fourth of six children in the family. By the mid-1880's E.C. Rost was exhibiting landscapes in oil at the National Academy of Design, New York City. After 1887 his oil painting stopped and by 1891 etching became his primary occupation. Today, the Library of Congress (Prints and Photographs Division) maintains 63 etchings signed 'Ernest C. Rost' or 'E. C. Rost', with dates running from 1891 to 1896. These often portray country lanes, cottages, rural scenes, sea, river and bayside settings, mostly in New York State, but several depict homes of famous statesmen and writers. With the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Rost was sent by the U.S. War Department to Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam as a civilian photographer of military operations and installations. Today, 21 photographs taken by E. C. Rost of these islands are held by the National Archives (Audio-Visual Division), while still another 26 photographs, all of Cuba, are held by the Library of Congress. In 1894 he sued his agents, Fishel, Adler and Schwartz Co. for the sale of his etchings as artist's proofs to which his signature had been forged. He went to the shop and bought 2 of these for $.90 each, whereas Ernest testified that they were worth $5 each. He was so angered by the lawsuit experience that he never again etched. By 1898 Rost had apparently given up etching and entered photography full-time. Still, photography was not his only occupation during this time period, for he began writing, too. Between 1899 and 1900, at least 7 articles by Rost appeared in the popular 'Leaslie's Illustrated Weekly Newspaper'.

Dimensions:
28.5" x 1" x 18.75" (Width x Depth x Height)


Condition:
Alterations: Original Condition Unaltered
Imperfections: Some Imperfections
Condition Notes: Wear and distressing to frame from age, finish loss / scuffing, discoloration / foxing to print

Origin:
United States

Materials & Techniques:
Etching, Wood

Details:
What type of item is it? Vintage / Antique / Used
Country of Origin: United States
Art Subjects: Landscape, Still Life
Frame Type: Framed

Original Condition Unaltered; Some Imperfections; Wear and distressing to frame from age, finish loss / scuffing, discoloration / foxing to print