Edward Chalmers Leavitt (1842-1904)

American

Oil on canvas

25″ x 29 3/4″

32″ x 36 1/2″ framed

Signed and dated (at lower left):  E.C. Leavitt 1872

A descendent of Mayflower Pilgrims, Edward Chalmers Leavitt was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island.  Leavitt was an active member of the Fall River School, a center of still life painting.  He trained with James Morgan Lewin before embarking on his very successful career.  Leavitt exhibited at the Boston Art Club, the Providence Art Club, The Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts and the National Academy of Design.

Still Life of Flowers in a Cachepot on a Sideboard is a superb example by the artist.  The attention to the texture of the fabric and the many surfaces including the mahogany table top, the Egyptian-inspired urn and the porcelain planter with ormolu mounts typifies Leavitt’s work.  His ability to render all these surfaces and flower endeared him to collectors and connoisseurs.