Lot 168: John Kelly Fitzpatrick Landscape Painting

John Kelly Fitzpatrick (American/Alabama, 1888-1953) oil on canvas Spring Landscape painting depicting a large brick  antebellum home as viewed from the rear side, with chimneys rising amid flowering trees and the green grass below partially covered in blue flowers. Signed lower right “Kelly Fizpatrick” (note sic) and labeled “42A” en verso. Canvas is mounted to stretcher with colored thumbtacks. Hand-carved, possibly original wooden frame with bronzed finish. Sight: 30″W x 25″H. Frame 35″ x 30″. Biography:  Dixie Art Colony co-founder John Kelly Fitzpatrick was known for his paintings of Alabama’s rural landscapes, painted during a turbulent period in the state’s history. His father was a well-to-do physician, and he resided most of his life at the family’s 1840s Greek Revival home in Elmore County. Fitzpatrick studied at the Art Institute of Chicago before enlisting in the Army in 1918. He was wounded and severely scarred during the war and later wrote that his experience caused him to lose interest in the material world and focus on the beautiful and spiritual aspects of life. After the war, he returned to painting and attended the prestigious Academie Julian in Paris, where he absorbed the influences of Paul Cezanne, Vincent Van Gogh and Henri Matisse – particularly their love of brilliant color. Once back in the South, he made numerous contributions to the arts in Alabama. He was the first director of the Montgomery Museum of Art School and spent much of his time teaching at the Dixie Art Colony at Lake Jordan. He also co-founded the Alabama Art League and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art and was the first director and co-founder of the Montgomery Museum of Art School. (Source: the Dixie Art Colony Foundation; the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts).

PROVENANCE: The collection of Donald Harper, acquired over ten years ago from Charles “Hop” Chichester of Mountain Brook, Alabama.

CONDITION: Minor retouching to two areas of scratching and flaking at lower center edge, largest 2″ L to scratch. 2″ area of scratching upper left, to chimney, and a couple of tiny flakes to roofline and treeline. Some grime in sky area. Frame exhibits some wear to edges. Frame is slightly larger than the painting, indicating it may have had a liner at one time now missing.