Object Record
Images
![Autumn Morning, Racquette [sic] Lake](https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_370/154/thumbs/19630370002.jpg)
Metadata
Title |
Autumn Morning, Racquette [sic] Lake |
Object Name |
Painting |
Date |
1872, March 26 |
Artist |
Tait, Arthur Fitzwilliam |
Medium |
Oil |
Subjects |
Raquette Lake Autumn deer fowl |
Material |
Canvas |
Description |
Naturalistic depiction of buck and five does on a marshy lake shore with ducks, forest and mountain in background, fall coloring. This painting is a panoramic landscape of South Pond in late October 1871. Its size, subject and aesthetic quality mark it as one of Tait's masterpieces. Tait painted this canvas in his New York City studio during much of the winter of 1871-72, working from a small study done from nature at South Pond. Tait biographer Warder Cadbury speculates that he titled it Racquette [sic] Lake so that tourists would not spoil his little gem, South Pond, or so that the more well-known name of Raquette Lake would attract a buyer. He exhibited the work at the National Academy of Design in spring 1872. In search of solitude and good fishing and hunting, Tait set up camp at South Pond between Long Lake and Blue Mountain Lake in 1870. Excellent fishing and sketching opportunities brought him back the next summer along with his wife and niece. Guidebook writer Sidney Hay described a visit to the Taits at South Pond that summer: "This little lake is thickly studded with island gems, most picturesquely commingling, and Blue Mountain, majestic and beautiful, rises not far from its borders. In this wild and secluded place, Mr. A. F. Tait has erected and nicely furnished a sylvan lodge; and here produced some of those exquisite paintings that delight so many eyes....A master hand is his in throwing the fly, floating for deer, or making the canvas glow with life!" |
Notes |
Artist File Folder (AML): Photocopies of Tait holdings in the Museum and cataloging worksheets, photocopy of Tait patent, Article in "The Conservationist" April 2011 Accession File Folder: Reference inquiries, exhibition and loan information, photographs, conservation information, Accession cataloging worksheets, bill of sale Tait File Folder: Exhibited at the National Academy in April 1872. The painting has been rebacked with fiber glass after removal of the reinforced panel backing. The original back was formed of five panels joined together. The back inscription shows three parts seperated by "///." Photographed by Richard Walker, December 2015. |
Dimensions |
H-36 W-72 inches |
Collection |
ART PAINTING |
Search Terms |
Raquette Lake Hamilton County deer lakes and ponds ducks landscapes |
Catalog Number |
1963.037.0002 |
Other number |
ptg. #077 |
Imagefile |
154\19630370002.JPG |
Species |
Painting |