M. FORD CREECH ANTIQUES & FINE ARTS

COLIN CAMPBELL COOPER

American / New York / California (1856-1937)

"NEW YORK CITY SCENE"

(Columbus Circle with the monument and Majestic Theater at dusk, c1910)  

Oil on Board

Signed l.r. CCC, with initials CCC and

stamp verso: “The Colin Campbell Cooper Collection”

Museums: 22, including Metropolitan Museum of Art, The White House,

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Irvine Museum

Books: 78, including Solon, Epstein, Gerdts, East Coast/West Coast and Beyond: Colin Campbell Cooper, American Impressionist;

Price, Colin Campbell Cooper: Impressions of New York;

Hansen, James M, Colin Campbell Cooper

Periodicals: 18, including American Art Review, 2006 October, Colin Campbell Cooper, American Impressions,

Gerdts, Solon; American Art Review, 2002 April, Colin Campbell Cooper: Impressionist, Price

Note:

The New York Times wrote in 1911 that “first and foremost in enthusiasm for the modern New York

of today, the city of towering skyscrapers and fevered street traffic, is Colin Campbell Cooper, who

may be considered the skyscraper artist par excellence of America…” Cooper was one of the first

painters to use skyscrapers as an integral part of his subject matter.

Cooper studied under Thomas Eakins at the Philadelphia Academy, and in Paris at the Academie Julian (with

Bouguereau and Lefebvre), and at at the Academies Viti, and Delecluse.  He was known for both his oils

 and watercolors - the watercolor being handled as oil would have been, and the technique becoming known

 as the “California Style” of watercolor painting. In Europe, he did a great number of figural and architectural

 paintings – some of the latter described as possessing “such charm as to make them dreams of beauty”.

  Unfortunately, many of these paintings were lost to fire in 1896.  

In 1902, he turned his love of architecture to the New York City skyscraper, in which he saw charm where others

saw monstrosities.  Several years ago, I saw the traveling exhibit of these “monolith” paintings.  They had simultaneously

a great power and intimacy that did not communicate to me until standing in front of them.  Since that time, I have 

sought to purchase a small and good example of one of these architectural paintings.  We are pleased to present this

twilight scene – probably an early view of Columbus Circle and Monument in New York City, the Circle being

completed in 1905.  This scene is now history, as the Circle has recently been completely renovated.

In 1921, Cooper moved permanently to Santa Barbara, California, becoming one of the most important early Southern

California painters.  His very colorful garden painting, "The Pergola at the Samarkand Hotel, Santa Barbara" graces the

cover of All Things Bright and Beautiful, California Impressionist Paintings from The Irvine Museum (Gerdts, 1998).

Image size: 4.25" x 6.25"

SOLD

#5896

Please Inquire

Columbus Circle and Monument, 1907, with the Majestic Theater on the left

Verso with initials and stamp

Birth place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 8,1856

Death place: Santa Barbara, California, November 6,1937

Addresses: New York City; Santa Barbara California

Studied: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts with Thomas Eakins (1879); Academie Julian with

Jules-Joseph  Lefebvre and William Bouguereau (1889); Academie Delecluse

Exhibited:  Atlanta Expo, 1895 (bronze medal); American Water Color Society, 1903 (Evans Award); 

St. Louis World Expo, 1904 (medal); Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 1904 (gold Medal), 1919 (prize); 

Philadelphia Art Club, 1905 (gold medal);  Buenos Aires Expo, 1910 (silver medal);  

New York Water Club, 1911 (Beal prize);  Panama Pacific International, 1915 (gold and silver medals).

Member:  California Art Club; American Watercolor Society; American Federation of Arts; New York Society Painters;

Salmagundi Club; New York Watercolor Club; Santa Barbara Art Club, Associate of the National Academy of Design, 1908;

Member of the National Academy of Design, 1912; Lotus Club; National Arts Club, New York; San Diego Art Guild; 

Philadelphia Water Color Club.
 
Work:  Luxembourg Museum, Paris; Cincinnati Art Museum; Boston Art Club; St. Louis Museum; Cincinnati Museum; 

Dallas Art Association; National Arts Club, New York; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts;  Memorial Art Gallery,

Rochester, New York;  Oakland Museum (Palace of Fine Arts);  Lotus Club, New York;  San Diego Museum.
 

Museums: 22

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M. Ford Creech Antiques & Fine Arts / 581 South Perkins Road /  Memphis, TN 38117 / USA /  Wed.-Sat. 11-6, or by appointment