Francis Guy, “Winter Scene in Brooklyn,” 1818-20, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Francis Guy, “Winter Scene in Brooklyn, ca. 1819-20, Brooklyn Museum
Alice Walton‘s planned Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has just announced another acquisition—Francis Guy‘s “Winter Scene in Brooklyn.” This one will grace its holiday greeting card.
It is one several paintings by the artist of the view from his second-floor window. The one now owned by Crystal Bridges was publicly displayed in 2006 (then ascribed to “private collection”) as part of a focus exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, which installed it with its own Guy of the same streetscape.
According to the Brooklyn Museum’s description of that show:
Originally, these two “Winter Scenes” were nearly identical, except for variations in the sky and some of the
figural vignettes. In 1881, the Museum’s canvas suffered damage from a
fire and lost about two feet from its left side. This section is
preserved in the other version on view here,…allowing us to appreciate the Museum’s original composition.
The New York Public Library had owned yet another of these Brooklyn views, until it sold the painting at Sotheby’s in 2005 for $1.02 million, far in excess of its $200,000-300,000 presale estimate:
Francis Guy, “Winter Scene in Brooklyn,” ca. 1817-20, sold by the NY Public Library
I wonder if Arkansas’ Guy-buy will be in this Grrl‘s holiday mail. When it comes to Crystal Bridges, I’ve been more naughty than nice.