221.     HOLT, H[enry] H[arrison]. Untitled oil painting on canvas of Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, signed at lower right: “H.H. Holt 1900.” Visible in frame 39.2 x 59.5 cm. Original stretchers and molded gilt frame. Other than light craquelure, very fine.

     This nicely executed oil painting shows a sweeping scene with snow-covered Mount Rainier (formerly known as Mount Tacoma) rising prominently in the background, with the foreground showing trees and a body of water, beside which sits a small house. A skiff floats in the water. To the right several animals are visible on a beach and a church is nestled in the wooded hillside. Holt (1843-1920?) lived in Washington, was associated with the Tacoma School, and is known for landscapes.

     Mount Rainer is an icon of the American landscape. On March 2, 1899, President William McKinley established Mount Rainier National Park as the fifth national park of the United States, in response to public urging to protect scenery and environment, provide recreation, and stimulate tourism.

($400-800)

Auction 22 Abstracts