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Property of a Manhattan Private Collection
Lot 69
Abbott Fuller Graves(American, 1859-1936)Rowing to Picnic Rock 32 x 46in
4 December 2013, 14:00 EST
New YorkSold for US$197,000 inc. premium
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Abbott Fuller Graves (American, 1859-1936)
Rowing to Picnic Rock
signed '-Abbott Graves-' (lower left)
oil on canvas
32 x 46in
Painted circa 1900
signed '-Abbott Graves-' (lower left)
oil on canvas
32 x 46in
Painted circa 1900
Footnotes
PROVENANCE:
The artist
(Probably) George Goodall, Sanford, Maine
Ruth Goodall, by descent
Estate of the above
Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Inc., New York, 2000
Acquired by the present owner from the above, 2004
"Picnic Rock" or "Sunset Rock," as it was originally called, continues to be a favorite stopping place on the Kennebunk River in Kennebunk, Maine. The property was privately owned until it was purchased circa 1890 by the Kennebunk River Club of Kennebunkport for the use of its members, many of whom owned canoes, similar to one used by Graves' rowing couple.
In 1963, the River Club sold the rock and eighteen acres of surrounding land to the Butler family of Kennebunk. In 1973 the Butlers began the ten-year incremental process of donating the property to the Maine chapter of The Nature Conservancy in order to assure its preservation for the recreational use of future generations. Subsequently, some years later, The Nature Conservancy transferred the preserve to the Kennebunk Land Trust, which holds it today as its "Butler Preserve."
We are grateful to Joyce Butler for her assistance in cataloging the present lot.