Morrisania, 1855
by William Rickarby Miller (1818–1893)15⅝ x 19¾ inches
Signed, inscribed, and dated lower left: W. R. Miller. / “The Dead Tree.” Morrisania. N.Y. / July. 1855.
Information
Provenance Estate of Arthur F. Goat, South Pomfret, Vermont Sale, Skinner, Marlborough, Massachusetts, August 9, 2014, lot 408 Private collection, Worcester, Massachusetts
Note: Morrisania, now a neighborhood in the Bronx, was once an estate of 2000 acres along the Harlem River owned since the 1670s by the aristocratic Morris family, one of whom was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and another a penman for the United States Constitution.
Artist Biography
William was the son of the English landscape painter, Joseph Miller and most likely studied under him in England. In the winter of 1844, William immigrated to America and settled in New York City. He initially worked as a portraitist, but then began traveling across the Eastern U.S. to discover new landscape subjects. Throughout Miller’s prolific career, he completed landscapes in oils, watercolors, and pen and ink. He also produced a myriad of sketches as well as fruit still lifes. He exhibited at the National Academy of Design, the Brooklyn Art Association, and the American Art
William was the son of the English landscape painter, Joseph Miller and most likely studied under him in England. In the winter of 1844, William immigrated to America and settled in New York City. He initially worked as a portraitist, but then began traveling across the Eastern U.S. to discover new landscape subjects. Throughout Miller’s prolific career, he completed landscapes in oils, watercolors, and pen and ink. He also produced a myriad of sketches as well as fruit still lifes. He exhibited at the National Academy of Design, the Brooklyn Art Association, and the American Art Union. His works are housed in the collections of the New York Historical Society.
