The 30 Minute Rule begins September 16 at 7:00 PM EDT. An Initial Bid Must Be Placed By September 16 at 6:00 PM EDT To Participate After 6:00 PM EDT
American landscape painter (1826-1900) of the Hudson River School, celebrated for grand, meticulously detailed scenes such as Niagara, The Andes of Ecuador, and Heart of the Andes. Among the most acclaimed artists of his generation, he helped define nineteenth-century American landscape painting. ALS signed “F. E. Church,” one page both sides, 4.5 x 7, October 15, 1858. Addressed from New York, a handwritten letter to J. P. Ridner, in part: “So to the chocolates – I am afraid that you have put yourself to some trouble on my account. The people on the coast naturally claim that their chocolate is the best – but I have tried both thoroughly – I can say that the chocolate made (not by the regular manufactories, but in certain Convents, etc.) at Bogota is incomparably the best. I shall be glad to get a box or two of the Carthagena Chocolates if you can spare it…As I have got the apparatus which you know is peculiar for making the Spanish Chocolate perhaps you would like to help me experiment on some of it at my studio. You can if you choose and it does not inconvenience you send the Chocolate by Express to my studio – or I will send for it just as is most agreeable to you – I shall be glad for an opportunity to talk over S. America with you." In fine condition. Accompanied by an original cabinet portion of Church by Sarony & Co. of New York.
Dated October 15, 1858, this letter was written as Church was transforming the experiences of his South American travels into what would become Heart of the Andes, the monumental landscape that secured his reputation as America's foremost painter of the natural world. Inspired by the writings of Alexander von Humboldt, Church had journeyed through Colombia and Ecuador in 1853 and again in 1857, returning to New York with extensive sketches, observations, and a lasting fascination with the region's culture.
Here, that influence emerges in an unexpectedly personal way: Church enthusiastically compares the merits of chocolate from Bogotá and Cartagena, arranges for shipments to his studio, and discusses using a specialized apparatus for preparing Spanish chocolate. His eagerness to “talk over S. America” with his correspondent underscores how deeply these travels remained on his mind. Written just six months before the public debut of Heart of the Andes in April 1859, the letter offers a charming glimpse into the daily life and interests of one of the nineteenth century's greatest American artists.
From the personal collection of a lifelong collector, teacher, and traveler with a passion for world history. His collecting years ranged from the 1970s to the present day, meaning that several of the premier pieces have not been on the market in decades.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
(inquire for price)
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
Third-party authentication service applies only to signatures and handwriting, and does not cover the addition of sketches, artwork, musical quotations, etc.
