Accession Number

983.795b

Description

A framed oil painting of a mountain landscape, at right foreground a small pond, behind it a stand of coniferous and deciduous trees, in the left foreground a grassy knoll with three fallen trees and a fourth standing, the overall background of the scene three distinct sets of mountains, the artist's signature, "F. Schafer" at lower right. The canvas support has been bonded to a board, the surface of it bearing this handwritten inscription (verso) in a black medium, "The California Alps".

Narrative

The California Alps is the title of this painting. That area borders the Hope Valley in California, south of Lake Tahoe.

The Dunsmuir family had many landscape paintings in Craigdarroch. Eight of them were created by the painter of this picture, German-American artist Frederick Ferdinand Schafer. A catalogue raisonné on Schafer has been prepared by Dr. Jerome Saltzer, Professor of Computer Science Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A record of this painting can seen here: http://ffscat.csail.mit.edu/ffshtml/descrs/FFSd0260.htm (last accessed May 8, 2020)

A biography of Schafer can be seen by clicking on his name at the bottom of this record.

History of Use

This picture was owned by the Dunsmuir family at Craigdarroch. Dunsmuir biographer Terry Reksten has suggested that they acquired it at a September 1891 exhibition in Vancouver. There is no proof that this is the case.

It was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Scott of Victoria as Lot #171 from the Castle's library during the June 21-23, 1909 Craigdarroch auction. References to this painting are in the Victoria newspaper, The Daily Colonist, March 21, 1969 page 24; and June 22, 1969, page 17. The painting was donated to The Castle Society by the Scott's daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Crane, in 1969.

Date

circa 1890

Dimensions

75.1 x 125.5 cm

Material

Fabric, cotton, canvas; Paint, oil

Artwork Title

The California Alps

Subject/Image

The California Alps

Medium

Oil

Support

Canvas; Fibreboard

Technique

Painted

Inscription

F. Schafer (the artist's signature)
The California Alps (verso) 

Country of Origin

United States of America