Accession Number

983.790b

Alternate Name

oil painting

Description

An framed oil landscape painting depicting coniferous tree-covered hills in the foreground which create a valley with a lake at its bottom, in the distant centre a snow-covered mountain range, at the right foreground scattered trees and bushes on a rocky bluff, the artist's signature at bottom right, the initial "F" overlapping the "S "of "Schafer", on the verso hand-lettering in black paint at the right bottom corner of canvas is the title, "Donner Lake", above a long line forming a geometric shape at the end after the "e" of "lake".

Narrative

This painting was owned by Joan Olive Dunsmuir and sold from Craigdarroch’s billiard room as Lot #527 at the June 23, 1909 Dunsmuir Executor’s auction. It is one of eight Schafer paintings sold from Craigdarroch at that auction. 

Donner  Lake is in the State of California about 18 kilometers northwest of Lake Tahoe. The lake is named for George Donner (c.1784-1847) and his party of American settlers who became snowbound in the area while en route to California. Many of the party perished and survivors resorted to cannibalism.

The Dunsmuirs were familiar with the lake because it could be seen from the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad which they used traveling to and from San Francisco.This painting’s history as part of the Dunsmuir family’s original furnishings of the house makes it a highly significant object in The Castle Society’s Primary Collection.

Dr. Jereome Saltzer’s Schafer catalogue raisonné and on-line record of this painting can be accessed here: http://ffscat.csail.mit.edu/ffshtml/descrs/FFSd0054.htm

History of Use

This painting was owned by Joan Dunsmuir while she lived at Craigdarroch. After her death, it was sold from the billiard room as lot #527 at the June 23, 1909 Dunsmuir Executor’s auction. The purchaser was Vincent Clinton Maddock. He died in Vancouver on October 27, 1972 and in accordance with his will, the painting was transferred to The Castle Society. Notes on file indicate that the painting’s transfer from the Maddock Estate is described in a James K. Nesbitt article published Victoria’s newspaper, The Daily Colonist, August 10, 1973. Minutes of The Castle Society's Annual General Meeting held November 25, 1972 record that members were informed of the bequest. This notice was followed by Mr. Nesbitt's written report to members dated November 15, 1974 in which he said the Maddock painting(s) and bronze vase were in the Castle. 

The painting was exhibited at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria from February-April, 1994.

Date

circa 1890

Dimensions

75.5 x 126 cm

Artwork Title

Donner Lake

Subject/Image

Donner Lake, CA (USA)

Medium

Oil

Support

Canvas

Technique

Painted

School/Style

Rocky Mountain School

Inscription

On the canvas support verso in black paint:
Donner Lake; on the frame… t/c "44", in pencil; l & r stamp of T. J. Sass & Co./14 & 15 Ellis St. S.F. with icon of an eagle.

Country of Origin

United States of America