For more than fifty years, Spanierman Gallery cultivated a reputation as one of the country’s preeminent galleries dedicated to American Art. Founded by Ira Spanierman in 1961, the gallery initially offered a wide selection of material, including silver, arms and armor, Old Master, European and American art. Over time, Spanierman chose to focus exclusively on American art, a move that would establish the gallery as a tour-de-force in the field. Well-known for his outstanding ‘eye’ and dedication to connoisseurship, Spanierman was trusted by institutions and private collectors alike. The gallery was known to have sold to hundreds of museums across the United States and abroad while fostering the development of some of the country’s most prestigious private collections.
In addition to its reputation as a dealer, Spanierman Gallery was esteemed in the industry for its dedication and support of art scholarship. As a young man starting off in the business, Ira Spanierman recalled researching and identifying paintings through tedious research at the Frick Art Reference Library. These hours of study left an indelible mark on Spanierman who would go on to publish catalogue raisonnés for artists such as Theodore Robinson, John Henry Twachtman, Willard Metcalf, and co-sponsor the catalogue on the work of Winslow Homer.
When Spanierman Gallery closed in 2014 an impressive inventory remained. We are pleased to be offering a selection of these works in our upcoming auctions. Paintings and sculpture by artists such as John Haberle, Childe Hassam, Walter Schofield, Ibram Lassaw, Theodoros Stamos, George Segal and Patrick Procter among others, will be offered over two days. The sales also features work from a few of the estates acquired by the gallery, such as: Burgoyne Diller, Gershon Benjamin, Hayley Lever, Charles Warren Eaton, Sears Gallagher and Abraham Bogdanove.
William Langson Lathrop 1859–1938
William Langson Lathrop was a prominent American Impressionist landscape painter celebrated for his pivotal role in shaping the New Hope art colony in Pennsylvania and advancing Pennsylvania Impressionism. Born in 1859 in Painesville, Ohio, Lathrop got his start as an artist in the late 1870s in New York City, initially working as an illustrator and part-time etcher, although financial success remained elusive. His path took a turn for the better following a European sojourn in the 1880s and a brief hiatus from art. Lathrop's career gained momentum when he received acclaim for his watercolors displayed at a prestigious New York exhibition, earning recognition in The New York Times.
In 1899, Lathrop, accompanied by a group of art students, relocated to New Hope, Pennsylvania, nestled along the Delaware River across from Lambertville, New Jersey. Here, Lathrop's barge, affectionately known as Sunshine, served as a platform for budding artists to sketch passing landscapes, laying the foundation for an important American art colony. Over three decades, Lathrop's artistic style evolved from Tonalist, marked by moody palettes, to the vibrant Impressionist canvases for which he is renowned today. In 1916, he became a founding member of "The New Hope Group," a collective of artists who defined the parameters of the style that had already become known as Pennsylvania Impressionism.
Lathrop's influence extended to the establishment of Phillips Mill, a historic stone mill that became the primary exhibition space for the New Hope art colony. His role as its inaugural president solidified his impact on the local artistic community. Alongside such pursuits, Lathrop's personal life thrived, marked by a European adventure that led to marrying his wife, Annie, and the birth of their children. Settling in New Hope, Annie's Sunday afternoon teas fostered stimulating communal exchanges, drawing in artists and scholars. Notably, in his later years, Lathrop embarked on a maritime venture, crafting a wooden boat, The Widge, in his backyard and sailing it along the Atlantic shoreline. His enthusiasm for sailing extended to hosting distinguished guests, including the renowned physicist Albert Einstein.
Tragically, in 1938, Lathrop's life met an untimely end as he sailed near eastern Montauk Point in Long Island, encountering a devastating hurricane. Though he survived the storm's fury, accounts suggest he may have succumbed to a heart attack during the tempest, with his body discovered along the shoreline a month later. Remarkably, Lathrop's last painting endured the hurricane, a poignant testament to his steadfast artistic legacy.
Auction Results William Langson Lathrop
