Laurel
c. 1905 - 1910
20th Century
40 1/4 in. x 50 1/4 in.
Edward F. Rook,
American,
(September 21, 1870–October 25, 1960)
Medium and Support:
oil on canvas
Credit Line:
Florence Griswold Museum, Gift of The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company
Accession Number:
2002.1.117
Like many of the Old Lyme Impressionists, Rook loved to paint views of the mountain laurel that flourished along the banks of the Lieutenant River in June. A methodical painter, Rook was frequently frustrated that the flowers faded faster than they could be painted. To the delight of some of the other artists, Rook sometimes tied pink cotton balls onto the laurel bushes for a "second blooming", thereby allowing him to finish his composition.
Mr. Rook priced "Laurel" at $5000; it did not sell. He felt it was one of his finest works and, disheartened, he draped the painting with a black shawl and kept it in his studio throughout his life.