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1847 · Cleveland Museum of Art

The Power of Music

William Sidney MountWikidata

painting by William Sidney Mount (American, 1807-1868) (1991.110)

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In the picture

Everyday lifemusicmusicianfiddlefiddlerAfrican AmericanslaborerbarndoorwayAxe
Date
1847Wikidata
Cleveland Museum of Art: 1847
Medium
oil on canvasCleveland Museum of Art
Wikidata: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions
43.4 × 53.5 cmCleveland Museum of Art
Wikidata: 43.4 × 53.5 cm
Collection
Cleveland Museum of Art, ClevelandWikidata
Gallery
207 American RealismCleveland Museum of Art
Materials
oil paint, canvasWikidata
Inventory no.
1991.110Wikidata
Credit line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. FundCleveland Museum of Art

Provenance

Where it has been

  1. 1991 –
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art
    “The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio (1991-)”
  2. 1990 – 1991
    (James H. Maroney, Jr., Leicester, VT, and Christie's, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art
    “(James H. Maroney, Jr., Leicester, VT, and Christie's, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (1990-1991)”
  3. 1880 – 1990
    The Century Association, New York, NY
    purchase
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art
    “The Century Association, New York, NY (1880-1990) [notes: The Board of Management meeting minutes from January 8, 1881 confirm that the Century Association purchased the painting in 1880 for $500.  Because there are no extant financial records or sales receipts from that time period in the Century Association's archives, the identity of the seller is not recorded.  However, it can reasonably be assumed that it was Gideon Lee, Jr., as he was a member of the club and no additional names have been associated with this provenance. ]”
  4. 1870 – 1880
    Gideon Lee, Jr. [1824-1894], Carmel, NY?
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art
    “Gideon Lee, Jr. [1824-1894], Carmel, NY? (1870-1880)”
  5. 1859 – 1870
    Mrs. Gideon Lee [d. 1870], Geneva, NY, probably by descent to her stepson, Gideon Lee, Jr.
    inheritance
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art
    “Mrs. Gideon Lee [d. 1870], Geneva, NY, probably by descent to her stepson, Gideon Lee, Jr. (1859-1870) [notes: After Charles Leupp's death in 1859, the painting was returned to Mrs. Lee.]”
  6. ? – 1859
    Charles M. Leupp [1807-1859], New York, NY
    inheritance
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art
    “Charles M. Leupp [1807-1859], New York, NY (-1859) [notes: The circumstances surrounding Leupp's acquisition of this painting, as well as its return to Mrs. Lee, his mother-in-law, after his death are unclear.  Leupp,a founder of The Century Association, greatly admired the painting; Mount recalled that in the spring of 1847 Leupp "stood a long time looking at it until I began to think I had made a failure and observed to him, ‘If you think this picture will not suit Mrs. Lee, I will paint her another with pleasure.’ ‘Why man,’ he said, ‘I only wish the picture belonged to me.’”  By at least 1856, the painting did go to Leupp; in that year The Crayon listed it as part of his collection. ]”
  7. 1847 –
    Laura (Mrs. Gideon) Lee [1800-1870], Geneva, NY, to her son-in-law, Charles M. Leupp
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art
    “Laura (Mrs. Gideon) Lee [1800-1870], Geneva, NY, to her son-in-law, Charles M. Leupp (1847-) [notes: Although the painting was ostensibly commissioned by Laura Lee, wife of Gideon Lee, a former mayor of New York City, Leupp, her son-in-law, seems to have controlled the commission.]”
Identifiers & sources+