Additional Images

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by Walter Clark, Grand Rapids, Michigan;
By descent to his wife, Thelma Clark, Port Credit, Ontario until her death in 2000;
Gifted to her niece

Note to Provenance: Mr. Walter Clark, owned the Walter Clark Veneer Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In accompanying photographic records of the Clark residence in Santa Barbara, California, this lot is shown hanging over the fireplace with “Spring” (lot 20 in this auction) hanging on the adjacent wall.

Note:

James A. Straub comments on this painting: “Although he painted a few of Spanish boys by a well in Valencia, I do think the Clark family’s canvas is the best of any such compositions. The horse is comparatively very well rendered.”

Straub provided the 1922 date of this work based upon the annotations to the frame verso. He is currently compiling a survey of Alten’s framed works in order to determine if the frame is contemporaneous with the painting’s completion, or sale date. He comments, “Newcomb-Macklin [a prestigious Chicago frame maker from the era who made high-quality frames] is usually identifiable by having splined corners verso, with writing on the verso: the abbreviation ‘MET’ (for gold metal leaf), often a four digit number and possibly also a five digit number (all written in pencil). These are the tone/finish instructions. Sometimes they are carved, and sometimes simply ornamented.”

Straub confirmed that both this lot and lot 20 are Newcomb-Macklin of Chicago period frames, both made about 1922. This dating also confirms the completion date of this painting, as Alten traveled to Spain in 1922. This dating also relates to the painting “At The Well”, circa 1922, which is a Valencia view of the same village, depicting the same well as in this painting. Straub concluded that both this frame and the frame for lot 20 were likely ordered simultaneously.

We would like to thank James A. Straub for his contribution to this catalogue. Please visit his website (www.mathiasalten.com) for the Mathias J. Alten Catalogue Raisonne of oil, watercolour and pastel paintings produced by the prolific American “Academic Impressionist” during his 40 year career. Straub has documented more than 1,900 works from the estimated 3,800 works completed by the artist during his career of extensive travel and exhibiting.