A Dream of Italy
"A Dream of Italy" (1865) is a romantic landscape oil painting by Robert Scott Duncanson that was purchased through the Collection of the Art Fund, Inc. for the Birmingham Museum of Art in 2010. The selection was made by William Cary Hulsey Curator of American Art Graham Boettcher.
Duncanson (1821–1872) was a descendent of slaves from Virginia, but was born in freedom in Fayette, New York. He and his brothers worked in the family business of housepainting, decorating and carpentry in Monroe, Michigan. In 1840 Duncanson took up the study of art in Cincinnati, Ohio and gradually found commissions for portraits and buyers for his landscape paintings. In 1853 he accompanied fellow Cincinnatians William Sonntag and John Tait on a tour if Italy. After his return, the popularity of his Italy-inspired landscapes boosted his reputation among critics. In 1863 Duncanson moved to Montreal, Quebec to escape the ravages of Civil War. It was during the height of the war that his peaceful pastoral, "A Dream of Italy," was created.
The 35" wide by 20 5/8" tall canvas is one of Duncanson's most significant late works. It was held in a private collections since the 1970s. Boettcher, who had hoped to acquire a Duncanson for the museum since his arrival in 2006, found it for sale in a New York gallery.
References
- "Museum acquired Duncanson painting" (May 19, 2010) Birmingham Museum of Art press release
- Nelson, James R. (October 24, 2010) "Lofty thoughts went into Robert Duncanson's dreamy landscape." Birmingham News
External link
- A Dream of Italy at artsbma.org