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Levi Wells Prentice Art

American, 1851-1935
Self-taught artist Levi Wells Prentice is best known for his realistic still-life compositions of fruit arranged within a landscape, or abundantly spilling from bushel baskets. Early in his career, he painted portraits and landscapes of the Adirondack Mountain region of Lewis County, New York, where Prentice was born in 1851. Prentice later turned to painting still-life subjects when he moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1883. He was a member of the Brooklyn Art Association and frequently exhibited his paintings there. In addition to his artistic talents, Prentice also designed his own frames and made his own brushes and palettes. Prentice's fruit still lifes are compositions are intended to create dramatic contrasts. The shift between dark background areas and the vibrant hues of the fruit are done to give the compositions an exciting, visual energy. The fruit is presented with clarity and precision. An emphasis is placed on the idea of man vs. nature. The wooden baskets with hand wrought nails represents a structured, man-made object, while the overly ripe fruit represents the fleeting qualities of nature. These paintings also demonstrate Prentice's remarkable skills at rendering color, form, and texture. Noted art historian, William H. Gerdts observed: "there are several works by Prentice in which he achieves a quality of illusionism which is unsurpassed." In 1993, the skillful 'illusionism' of Levi Wells Prentice was celebrated in a retrospective exhibition at the Adirondack Museum in New York. His works continue to receive a high degree of appreciation by collectors today. His works are represented in many museums including the New York State Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Montclair Art Museum, Philbrook Museum of Art and Yale University Art Gallery.
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Artist: Levi Wells Prentice
Autumn Brook
Autumn Brook

Autumn Brook

By Levi Wells Prentice

Located in New York, NY

Levi Wells Prentice paints a rock-ringed pool surrounded by dense trees beginning to display autumn color in his oil painting, “Autumn Brook.”

Category

Late 19th Century Levi Wells Prentice Art

Materials

Oil, Board

River Landscape
River Landscape

River Landscape

By Levi Wells Prentice

Located in New York, NY

Signed lower right: L.W.Prentice.

Category

19th Century Hudson River School Levi Wells Prentice Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

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Previously Available Items
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Levi Wells PrenticeAdirondack Scene

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H 8 in W 12 in D 3 in

Adirondack Scene

By Levi Wells Prentice

Located in Saratoga Springs, NY

Signed lower right. Levi Wells Prentice was born in the Adirondack Mountains of New York in 1851. This self-taught artist began painting landscapes of the area in the 1870's, when ...

Category

Late 19th Century Hudson River School Levi Wells Prentice Art

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Peaches with Fly

Peaches with Fly

By Levi Wells Prentice

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Still life, fruit, signed and dated lower right

Category

Late 19th Century Levi Wells Prentice Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Levi Wells Prentice art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Levi Wells Prentice art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Levi Wells Prentice in oil paint, paint, canvas and more. Not every interior allows for large Levi Wells Prentice art, so small editions measuring 10 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Albert Bierstadt, William Rickarby Miller, and Thomas Moran. Levi Wells Prentice art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $8,000 and tops out at $12,500, while the average work can sell for $10,250.

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