Miner Hillard Milling Company
by George William Sotter (1879–1953)22¾ x 31¾ inches
Signed lower right: G.W. Sotter; on verso: MINER HILLARD / MILLING Co.
Provenance
Private collection, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Sale, Freeman’s, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 4, 2023, lot 105
Note: In his signature nocturne style George Sotter depicts a grain mill in Miner’s Mills, Pennsylvania. Golden light glows through the windows contrasting against the cool night sky and translucent snowbanks. The Miner Hillard Milling Company was first established in the area in 1795, and later rebuilt in 1824 and 1912 before closing in 1966. Sotter captures the company in action as smoke rises from the tall stacks.
Artist Biography
George William Sotter was an American stained glass artist and impressionist painter remembered for his luminescent night scenes. He was born in Pittsburgh and studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1905–1907 under William Merritt Chase, Thomas Anshutz, and Henry Keller. Sotter won many awards over the course of his career and exhibited widely. Notably, his work was shown annually at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1903–1925 as well as the Corcoran Gallery biennials from 1912–1923. Sotter was awarded a Silver Medal at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915. The New