1st item: William Posey Silva (American, 1859-1948), "Runnymede Lake," oil on board atmospheric landscape painting depicting the gardens of Runnymede Plantation outside Charleston, South Carolina. The lake is surrounded by trees, including live oaks, and flowering bushes under a hazy sky, all reflected in the calm surface of the water. Signed "William P. Silva" lower right. Titled in pencil en verso, "Runnymede Lake," with inscription, " To my dear young friend Sally Pinckney Burton / A souvenir of happy days at Runnymede. From William Silva 1925." Original period carved partial gilt wood frame with gray painted mat. Panel – 12" W x 10" H. Frame – 15 1/4" W x 13 1/4" H. Note: In 1925, William Posey Silva visited South Carolina, where he painted several scenes in and around Charleston. He spent a considerable amount of time painting and socializing at Runnymede Plantation. The original recipient of this painting, Sally Pinckney Burton, grew up at Runnymede. She was the wife of noted Charleston Museum director, scholar and author, Milby Burton.

2nd item: Early 20th-century watercolor and gouache on photograph, depicting live oak trees on the grounds of Runnymede Plantation. The image features a central tree surrounded by flowering bushes and a small dog in the lower right foreground. Unsigned. 9 5/8" W x 7 7/8" H.

Artist biography: William Posey Silva was born in Savannah, Georgia, and spent his first fifty years of life successfully running his family''s chinaware business. In 1887 he moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and began taking art instruction. He enrolled in the Academie Julian in Paris as a student of Jean Paul Laurens and also painted with American impressionist Chauncey Ryder. He had his first solo exhibition in 1909 at the Georges Petit Gallery in Paris. That same year he returned to Chattanooga and began winning American acclaim for his impressionistic paintings of picturesque subject matter including Chattanooga landscapes and the pine forests near Savannah. He won the silver medal at the 1910 Appalachian Exposition in Knoxville and had a solo exhibition at the Telfair Academy in Savannah in 1917. He moved to Washington DC and eventually to California in 1913. He was also a member of the California Art Club and the Salmagundi Club.

CONDITION: 1st item: Painting overall excellent condition; a few scattered inclusions to upper edge. The frame exhibits peeling gray paint to the border, some scattered wear/abrasions, and possible later gold paint. 2nd item: Overall good condition with a 3" L-shaped scratch lower left; light toning. Tape and adhesive residue en verso with 1/2" area of paper lifting at back edge, not affecting front image.