Antique Study for “Evening Camp Fire” Painting

Description: Moonlight Campfire Found at an estate sale, this entrancing antique 12” x 23.75” framed oil painting on on gray paperboard shows a moonlit landscape with a man in a canoe or small boat on a tranquil lake. An element of interest is added by two men around a blazing campfire hidden in the woods. It was evidently painted in the 1920’s by Robert William Wood as a study for his larger and more colorful version titled “Evening Camp Fire,” also on board (see below). I’m calling this smaller painting “Moonlight Campfire”. These two paintings are unusual not only because they’re a departure from Wood’s serene daytime landscapes but also because they include human figures and the campfire. The detail of the man in the boat is so precisely rendered that it can be seen that he’s holding a fishing rod. This antique painting also has an unexpected connection to the work of Albert Nemethy (1920-1998) (see below). “Moonlight Campfire” is framed without glass in an antique 15.75” x 27.5” wood frame that can best be described as distressed (see photos). The painting has slight damage around the edges from rubbing inside the frame but is otherwise undamaged. This antique painting of a night-time scene is rather dark and would be best hung where it gets good light. It’s possible that it would benefit from a professional cleaning by an art conservator. On the other hand the moonlight and the dark tones convey a haunting atmosphere hinting at mysterious clandestine activities. The second photo shows a 12” ruler for scale. As is unfortunately all too often the case at estate sales, I wasn't able to learn anything about the history of “Moonlight Campfire”, which was very loose in the frame because most of the finishing nails retaining it had been lost. I’ve replaced them with new ones (see photo of back). Robert William Wood’s paintings are often described as being “buckeye oils”. I’m not sure whether “Moonlight Campfire” is one or not. Evening Camp Fire The larger version of this arresting scene, “Evening Camp Fire”, which is 16” x 32”, was sold at auction by Heritage Auctions on May 11, 2013, as Lot #76087. It’s signed by Robert William Wood in the lower left corner and is described as “oil on artists' board” circa late 1920’s. The gilt frame is 23” x 39”. The setting is sunset rather than twilight and the trees are somewhat different but the elements of the man in the boat and men at the campfire are the same. The next-to-last photo compares “Moonlight Campfire” (bottom) and “Evening Camp Fire” (top), showing their similarities and relative sizes. Related paintings by Robert William Wood As an interesting side note, at the estate sale where I acquired this painting it was one of a matched pair of moonlit landscapes identical in size and framing and similar in style, composition, and palette. The companion painting, which was also on board but of a more recent type, portrayed a similar landscape with a lake in the background but differed in having a tall castle tower with its windows lit red on the right side. Some of the details were quite similar, including the rendering of the full moon low in the sky and its light on the water and red light reflecting from the water in the lower right corner. The companion painting, which was also unsigned, had a stamp on the back reading “Robert Wood, Artist, Office 346 E. 47th, Portland, Oregon” (see third-from-last photo). Born in England in 1889, Robert William Wood was a talented and prolific artist known for his landscapes and seascapes. Two of his paintings on the Worthpoint website show a very similar detail of a man in a small boat on a tranquil lake but in the daytime. These two paintings can be found by searching online for “Robert William Wood Portland Oregon Studio | #71026733” and “Robert Wood Original Seattle Washington Oil Landscape Painting California Texas | #457546244”. The first of these paintings is accompanied by a long and interesting biography of Robert William Wood. It’s also antique and on gray paperboard. The second is described as a buckeye oil painting on board circa 1918-1924. Each has Wood’s known artist stamp on the back. Connection to the work of Albert Nemethy As a point of interest, “Moonlight Campfire” appears to have been the inspiration for an untitled recent and much larger painting on canvas attributed to noted Hungarian-American artist Albert Nemethy (1920-1998). That 40” x 68” painting sold at auction by Copake Auctions, Inc., of New York for $17,700 on Jan. 1, 2022, as Lot 222. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1951, accomplished Hungarian artist Albert Nemethy became an admirer of the Hudson Valley school. He often painted landscapes in the style of Albert Bierstadt or even “after Bierstadt,” meaning they are to some degree copies of his work. For example his painting of majestic mountains with a Native American encampment in the foreground was clearly inspired by Bierstadt’s 1863 “The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak”. Nemethy’s painting that sold at auction in 2022 is described as a “large night time landscape with lake and figures.” Based on the details of the campfire and the boat as well as the overall scene I think it can be described as “after Robert William Wood”. The last photo shows Nemethy’s painting with those two key details highlighted. As stated above, over the decades the frame of “Moonlight Campfire” has unfortunately acquired some definite damage (see photos). Some might say that gives it character. This framed picture weighs 2 lbs. 2 oz., making it easy to hang. Please email me through eBay to request additional photos. If you're dissatisfied with this antique painting in any way, you can return it in the same condition in which you received it within 30 days for a full refund.

Price: 1999.95 USD

Location: Seattle, Washington

End Time: 2024-08-07T21:17:21.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD