Bidspirit auction | Joseph Frank Currier ”Rain Clouds”

Joseph Frank Currier ”Rain Clouds” Pastel - Joseph Frank Currier (American, 1843-1909). Pastel on paper landscape drawing titled ”Rain Clouds, ” circa 1890. Depicting billowing, dark grey storm clouds gathering above a moody, muted green landscape. Pencil initialed along the lower left. With a Robert Schoelkopf Gallery, New York label adhered along the verso listing artist attribution, title, medium, and date. Also with a Skinner auction label adhered along the verso ink inscribed ”1198,” lot ”108.” With a pencil inscription along the verso reading ”Rain Clouds by J Frank Currier; Bought by Miss Elizabeth Currier Jan. 1, 1935. Boston, Mass.; painted in Germany in the 1890s; exhibition at Babcock Gallery, New York, in 1928; No. 32 in that exhibition; from collection of Nelson C. White.” Provenance: From the Collection of Colles & John Larkin, Minnesota. As pillars of the Twin Cities cultural community, Colles B. Larkin and her late husband, Dr. John Larkin (1930-2019), spent decades quietly driving the growth and prestige of Minnesota’s arts scene. The couple served as a formidable bridge between professional scholarship and institutional stewardship: Colles brought the scholarly rigor of an experienced curator, while Dr. Larkin provided nearly six combined decades of board leadership at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) and the Minnesota Museum of American Art (The M). Together, they didn't just collect fine art; they actively sustained the region's cultural ecosystem by funding exhibitions, donating key works to public collections, and opening their private holdings to scholars and art lovers alike. Lots from the Larkin Collection signify an origin anchored in deep artistic expertise, civic vision, and an unwavering commitment to the Minnesota arts community. Sight; height: 6 in x width: 8 in. Framed; height: 15 1/4 in x width: 17 1/4 in x depth: 1 1/2 in. Condition: There are no visible tears, creases, or losses. The colors are bold and deep. Housed under a cloth-bound mat. Framed under glass. Light wear to the frame. Not inspected out of frame.