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Peter Caledon Cameron (British, 1852-1934), “Niagara Falls in Winter,” oil on canvas landscape painting, signed and dated 1885 lower left. Housed in a likely original Aesthetic Movement carved and giltwood frame. Stretcher: 29 3/4 in W x 11 3/4 in H. Frame: 38 in H x 21 in W. Note: Peter Cameron was known for his attention to fine naturalistic detail and atmospheric lighting in his paintings. In 1884, he created what was regarded as his masterpiece, a 9 ft x 18 ft depiction of Niagara Falls in winter. To paint it, he suspended himself in mid-air over the falls in below-freezing temperatures. The painting was purchased by the founder of Warner Observatory, Hulbert Harrington Warner, of Rochester, NY. It received much fanfare and was widely exhibited including at the Crystal Palace in London in 1887, but the painting was tragically destroyed in a fire shortly thereafter. Fortunately, Cameron had also created a smaller version, believed to be this painting, which he also sold to Warner, in a sale recorded by the New York Times on Jan. 9, 1885 for $3,000. Cameron also created at least two other known versions of the famous scene including a 10 ft x 21 ft replacement for the large one, completed in 1890.
PROVENANCE: Private Nashville collection; New Orleans Auction Lot 101, Sept. 26, 2020. Further provenance (according to New Orleans Auction Galleries 2020 catalog): “Hulbert Harrington (H. H.) Warner, Rochester, New York, 1885, purchased from the artist; Sotheby’s, New York, May 19, 2004, lot 64.
CONDITION: Overall good condition. Some light buckling to canvas. A few spots of retouch visible under UV light, largest about 1-inch diameter in sky area filling in a 1/2-inch flake. Shrinkage cracks, small losses, and later gilding to frame.
