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In addition to Sherwood’s tale, which would have intrigued Shaw, the painting contains such picturesque conventions as moonlight, misty atmosphere, dead branches, and framing trees. The cool palette of silvery blues and greens imparts a mysterious quality to the overall composition in keeping with the picturesque aesthetic. The thin, even application of paint is punctuated by small areas of impasto to define foliage and clouds, creating a shimmering effect. A dark foreground contrasts the bright middle ground where the moon is reflected in the creek.
The canvas has been variously dated, but the fact that Picturesque Views of American Scenery includes an aquatint engraving that is remarkably similar suggests the painting dates to 1820–1821. John Hill, noted printmaker and Shaw’s collaborator, appears to have used the painting as his source, but also made some modifications, including changing the title to Oyster Cove, Lynnhaven Bay. [1] The carefully painted trompe-l’oeil mat that surrounds the view is a technique that aided Hill in the conversion of the painting into aquatint, and implies the canvas was intended for reproduction as a print. Confusion about the date of the painting stems from the fact that it was exhibited at the Artist’s Fund Society in Philadelphia in 1835. Some scholars believe that Shaw planned to publish a second set of views in the mid-1830s, but this project, like the first one, never came to fruition. Others believe that eight similarly sized and presented paintings depicting southern scenes date close to the time of his trip south in 1819–1820. [2]
Witch Duck Creek is one of about a dozen small paintings with painted borders that derived from Shaw’s southern sojourn. A pioneer in painting southern landscapes, Shaw was enthusiastic about his experiences in the region. On his return trip he stopped in Norfolk to visit fellow artist and biographer William Dunlap who recorded in his diary: “Shaw came in, just returned from Savannah, Augusta, etc. and represents the South as a paradise of riches.” [3]
Notes:
[1] For an illustration see Charles C. Eldredge, Barbara Babcock Millhouse, and Robert G. Workman, American Originals: Selections from Reynolda House, Museum of American Art (New York: Abbeville Press, 1990), 40. The measurements of the engraving and the painting are very close.
[2] See Thomas Quick, “Joshua Shaw: Recently Discovered Landscape Paintings,” An Alluring Path II (New York: Godel & Co. Fine Art, 2004), 54–64, and Martha R. Severens, A Paradise of Riches: Joshua Shaw and the Southern Frontier (Greenville, SC: Greenville County Museum of Art, 2008).
[3] William Dunlap, Diary of William Dunlap (1766–1839): The Memoirs of a Dramatist, Theatrical Manager, Painter, Critic, Novelist and Historian (New York: New York Historical Society, 1931), entry for April 9, 1820, 501 and 527.
ProvenancePrivate Collection, London. [1]
1961
Sabin Galleries, London. [2]
From 1961 to 1966
Kennedy Galleries, New York NY. [3]
1966
Charles H. Babcock, Sr. (1899-1967), purchased from Kennedy Galleries, New York in December 1966. [4]
From 1966
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem NC, given by Charles H. Babcock, Sr. [5]
Note:
[1] Kennedy Gallery, Inc. documents, Object file.
[2] See note 1.
[3] See note 1.
[4] Receipt from Kennedy Galleries, Inc., Object file.
[5] Letter from Barbara Lassiter (Millhouse) to Reynolda House on January 21, 1967.
Exhibition History1971
Reynolda House American Paintings
Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Inc., New York NY (1/13/1971-1/31/1971)
Cat. No. 8
For the benefit of the Smith College Scholarship Fund
1990-1992
American Originals, Selections from Reynolda House Museum of American Art
The American Federation of Arts
Center for the Fine Arts, Miami FL (9/22/1990-11/18/1990)
Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs CA (12/16/1990-2/10/1991)
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York NY (3/6/1991-5/11/1991)
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis TN (6/2/1991-7/28/1991)
Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, Fort Worth TX (8/17/1991-10/20/1991)
Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago IL (11/17/1991-1/12/1992)
The Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK (3/1/1992-4/26/1992)
Cat. No. 8
2005
Vanguard Collecting: American Art at Reynolda House
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem NC (4/1/2005-8/21/2005)
2011-2012
Wonder & Enlightenment: Artist-Naturalists in the Early American South
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (8/13/2011- 2/20/2012)
2012
Mystical Visions, Divine Revelations: Religion and Spirituality in 19th Century Art
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (3/31/2012 – 11/25/2012)
Published ReferencesHood, David Ford. Magnolia. Southern Garden History Society, Vol. XXIV No. 2, Spring 2011
Lassiter, Barbara B. Reynolda House American Paintings. Winston-Salem, NC: Reynolda House, Inc., 1971: 18, illus. 19.
Millhouse, Barbara B. and Robert Workman. American Originals. New York: Abbeville Press Publishers, 1990: 40-3.
Kennedy Quarterly, Kennedy Galleries, IV (April 1964): illus. 134.
Archer, Philip R. and Martha R. Severens, "Artist-Naturalists in the Early American South" American Art Review Vol.XXIV, No.1 (2012)
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Reynolda: Her Muses, Her Stories , with contributions by Martha R. Severens and David Park Curry (Winston-Salem, N.C.: Reynolda House Museum of American Art affiliated with Wake Forest University, 2017).pg. 104, 105, 120
DepartmentAmerican Art
Witch Duck Creek
Artist
Joshua Shaw
(1776 - 1860)
Date1820-1821
Mediumoil on canvas
DimensionsFrame: 17 1/16 x 21 5/8 in. (43.3 x 54.9 cm)
Image (with painted mat): 13 x 17 1/2 in. (33 x 44.5 cm)
Image (with cropped mat): 9 7/8 x 14 in. (25.1 x 35.6 cm)
Signed<none>
Credit LineGift of Charles H. Babcock, Sr.
CopyrightPublic domain
Object number1966.2.32
DescriptionIn preparation for a portfolio of engravings entitled Picturesque Views of American Scenery, Joshua Shaw traveled south in 1819–1820 in pursuit of suitably picturesque places. The locale for Witch Duck Creek appears to be Witchduck Point near Virginia Beach, Virginia. The site is associated with the witchcraft trials of Grace Sherwood in 1705–1706; she was subjected to an ordeal by water, or “ducking” in the Lynnhaven River, but swam to safety signaling that she was in fact guilty. Over the years legends flourished until 2006 when she received a posthumous pardon. In addition to Sherwood’s tale, which would have intrigued Shaw, the painting contains such picturesque conventions as moonlight, misty atmosphere, dead branches, and framing trees. The cool palette of silvery blues and greens imparts a mysterious quality to the overall composition in keeping with the picturesque aesthetic. The thin, even application of paint is punctuated by small areas of impasto to define foliage and clouds, creating a shimmering effect. A dark foreground contrasts the bright middle ground where the moon is reflected in the creek.
The canvas has been variously dated, but the fact that Picturesque Views of American Scenery includes an aquatint engraving that is remarkably similar suggests the painting dates to 1820–1821. John Hill, noted printmaker and Shaw’s collaborator, appears to have used the painting as his source, but also made some modifications, including changing the title to Oyster Cove, Lynnhaven Bay. [1] The carefully painted trompe-l’oeil mat that surrounds the view is a technique that aided Hill in the conversion of the painting into aquatint, and implies the canvas was intended for reproduction as a print. Confusion about the date of the painting stems from the fact that it was exhibited at the Artist’s Fund Society in Philadelphia in 1835. Some scholars believe that Shaw planned to publish a second set of views in the mid-1830s, but this project, like the first one, never came to fruition. Others believe that eight similarly sized and presented paintings depicting southern scenes date close to the time of his trip south in 1819–1820. [2]
Witch Duck Creek is one of about a dozen small paintings with painted borders that derived from Shaw’s southern sojourn. A pioneer in painting southern landscapes, Shaw was enthusiastic about his experiences in the region. On his return trip he stopped in Norfolk to visit fellow artist and biographer William Dunlap who recorded in his diary: “Shaw came in, just returned from Savannah, Augusta, etc. and represents the South as a paradise of riches.” [3]
Notes:
[1] For an illustration see Charles C. Eldredge, Barbara Babcock Millhouse, and Robert G. Workman, American Originals: Selections from Reynolda House, Museum of American Art (New York: Abbeville Press, 1990), 40. The measurements of the engraving and the painting are very close.
[2] See Thomas Quick, “Joshua Shaw: Recently Discovered Landscape Paintings,” An Alluring Path II (New York: Godel & Co. Fine Art, 2004), 54–64, and Martha R. Severens, A Paradise of Riches: Joshua Shaw and the Southern Frontier (Greenville, SC: Greenville County Museum of Art, 2008).
[3] William Dunlap, Diary of William Dunlap (1766–1839): The Memoirs of a Dramatist, Theatrical Manager, Painter, Critic, Novelist and Historian (New York: New York Historical Society, 1931), entry for April 9, 1820, 501 and 527.
ProvenancePrivate Collection, London. [1]
1961
Sabin Galleries, London. [2]
From 1961 to 1966
Kennedy Galleries, New York NY. [3]
1966
Charles H. Babcock, Sr. (1899-1967), purchased from Kennedy Galleries, New York in December 1966. [4]
From 1966
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem NC, given by Charles H. Babcock, Sr. [5]
Note:
[1] Kennedy Gallery, Inc. documents, Object file.
[2] See note 1.
[3] See note 1.
[4] Receipt from Kennedy Galleries, Inc., Object file.
[5] Letter from Barbara Lassiter (Millhouse) to Reynolda House on January 21, 1967.
Exhibition History1971
Reynolda House American Paintings
Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Inc., New York NY (1/13/1971-1/31/1971)
Cat. No. 8
For the benefit of the Smith College Scholarship Fund
1990-1992
American Originals, Selections from Reynolda House Museum of American Art
The American Federation of Arts
Center for the Fine Arts, Miami FL (9/22/1990-11/18/1990)
Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs CA (12/16/1990-2/10/1991)
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York NY (3/6/1991-5/11/1991)
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis TN (6/2/1991-7/28/1991)
Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, Fort Worth TX (8/17/1991-10/20/1991)
Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago IL (11/17/1991-1/12/1992)
The Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK (3/1/1992-4/26/1992)
Cat. No. 8
2005
Vanguard Collecting: American Art at Reynolda House
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem NC (4/1/2005-8/21/2005)
2011-2012
Wonder & Enlightenment: Artist-Naturalists in the Early American South
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (8/13/2011- 2/20/2012)
2012
Mystical Visions, Divine Revelations: Religion and Spirituality in 19th Century Art
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (3/31/2012 – 11/25/2012)
Published ReferencesHood, David Ford. Magnolia. Southern Garden History Society, Vol. XXIV No. 2, Spring 2011
Lassiter, Barbara B. Reynolda House American Paintings. Winston-Salem, NC: Reynolda House, Inc., 1971: 18, illus. 19.
Millhouse, Barbara B. and Robert Workman. American Originals. New York: Abbeville Press Publishers, 1990: 40-3.
Kennedy Quarterly, Kennedy Galleries, IV (April 1964): illus. 134.
Archer, Philip R. and Martha R. Severens, "Artist-Naturalists in the Early American South" American Art Review Vol.XXIV, No.1 (2012)
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Reynolda: Her Muses, Her Stories , with contributions by Martha R. Severens and David Park Curry (Winston-Salem, N.C.: Reynolda House Museum of American Art affiliated with Wake Forest University, 2017).pg. 104, 105, 120
Status
On viewCollections