Charles Henry Gifford (1839-1904)

SOLD

American School, lived/active in Massachusetts
Coastal View with Sandy Cliffs, possibly Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Signed and dated (l.r.): C.H. Gifford/72.
Oil on canvas.
12 ½ “x 18”, 15 ¼ x 21” (with frame).
Excellent condition, period walnut frame.
Charles Gifford is best known for his Marine paintings, although he was most influenced by Albert Bierstadt and credited him for becoming an artist. Gifford was imprisoned during the Civil War where he contracted chronic health issues. He later turned to painting as a full-time career with studios both in New Bedford, Ma. And New York City. This seascape best exemplifies Gifford’s ability as a Luminist painter, which shows his concern for both subtle and dramatic effects of light, stillness, precise realism and softly glowing surfaces.