|
'The Hunters,' a 1922 Gari Melchers painting, is on display at the artist's Stafford County estate. |
The winter scene of a man hunting rabbits with his father-in-law had been in the studio at Belmont so long that some fans of the popular painting thought it was part of the collection.
But Gari Melchers' "The Hunters" was just on loan to the gallery from 1977, when it was bought by a Virginian with Fredericksburg ties, until it was sold privately in 1997.
Now, "The Hunters" is back for a visit. It's on loan once again to the Gari Melchers Home and Studio in Falmouth, and it's staying until March.
In the meantime, area Melchers-lovers will have the chance to look at a painting that depicted local men in a local setting. Melchers' huntsmen were his groundskeeper, Mason Dillon, and Dillon's father-in-law, known only as Mr. Gibbs.
They were painted walking across the snow at Belmont, the Rappahannock River behind them. Each carries a shotgun, and the elder man grasps a newly killed rabbit. Two dogs accompany them.
Melchers, an American Impressionist who lived from 1860 to 1932, spent the last years of his life living and working at Belmont, his Stafford County estate. He painted "The Hunters" in 1922.
The painting was in the collection bequeathed by Melchers' widow, Corinne, to Mary Washington College. She asked that some of Melchers' works be sold from time to time to keep up interest in her husband's works and to help support the upkeep of Belmont, said curator Joanna Catron.
In keeping with her wishes, several works from the collection were sold in Fredericksburg in 1977, and others were sold about that time in a New York gallery.
One Virginia buyer purchased "The Hunters" and a smaller related scene of hunters in a town setting. The buyer, whom Catron said prefers to remain anonymous, allowed the gallery to keep possession of the painting until its sale 20 years later.
"The Hunters" is now among a number of American artworks owned by Richard Manoogian of Detroit, from whom it is on loan.
As of Nov. 1, the Gari Melchers Home and Studio is the new name for the former Belmont, the Gari Melchers Estate and Memorial Gallery. It's operated by the University of Mary Washington.
To reach LAURA MOYER:
Email: lmoyer@freelancestar.com
What: "The Hunters," a painting by Gari Melchers Where: Gari Melchers Home and Studio, Falmouth When: Painting on loan through March Hours: Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. Admission: $7 for adults; More information: 654-1015; garimelchers.org |
