| Medium: | oil on canvas |
| Size: | 30 x 20 in (76 x 51 cm) |
| Inscription: | Signed l/r: "Schäfer" in red, in a block-letter hand that resembles that of Frederick Ferdinand Schafer; the two halves of the umlaut touch to make a circumflex. The letters "FS" are dimly visible slightly above and to the left of the inscription, suggesting possible signature enhancement by a later hand. |
| Verso: | Titled l/c: "Atumn in the / Withe Mountains." in black brush on the canvas in the artist's characteristic block-letter hand. |
| Provenance: | Sold 17 June 2017 for $397 by D.G.W. Auctioneers, Inc., Sunnyvale, California, as lot 58 in "Fine Estates & Collectibles Auction". Sold 12 August 2017 for $600 by Hudson Valley Auctions, New Windsor, New York, as lot 265 in "Fine Art, Antiques & Mid-Century Design" auction. Offered 5 October 2017 via eBay by "pirate-chest", Dania, Florida. |
| Reproductions: | D.G.W. Auctioneers, Inc. 17 June 2017 sale catalog. |
| Attribution: | Although the signature may have been applied by a later hand, the overall style, composition, and palette are typical of Frederick Ferdinand Schafer and the verso inscription is almost certainly in his hand. |
| Site: | Despite the unusual spelling "Withe", this is presumably a scene in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, though the profile of the distant mountain does not resemble any of the much less rugged peaks in that area. |
| Note: | 1. This painting may have been executed between the fall of 1871 and the spring of 1873, a period when Schafer is thought to have been resident on the east coast of the United States before moving to San Francisco. The unusual spellings support this speculation, as they suggest that the artist, who had just emigrated from Germany, was new to the English language. 2. See also Note 3 for Autumn in the White Mountains [1]. |
| Identification: | Title from the artist's verso inscription with spelling corrected. |
| In index(es): | Title list, eastern United States scenes, mountain streams through a forest |
![[photo]](../smalls/p/img1726.jpg)