Sears Gallagher (Boston, 1869 - 1955, Boston)
Fenway Court, early 20th century
Etching, 24.1 x 29.2 cm (9 1/2 x 11 1/2 in.)
This is a horizontal etching of the exterior of Fenway Court in the early 20th century. The north and west sides of the building face the viewer. Trees and foliage are depicted across the center of the scene, blocking out the view of the first floor of the building. The windows for the second, third, and fourth floors are visible, as well as a softly sloped roof, multiple chimneys, and the peak of the glass roof of the Courtyard. In front of the museum, a narrow, rippling river winds from the middle ground to the foreground. The sky is lightly shaded with puffy clouds.
Macknight Room
Commentary
This etching shows the exterior of the Museum, known as Fenway Court during Isabella’s lifetime, in the early 20th century. Boston draftsman, printmaker, and illustrator Sears Gallagher achieved considerable popular success thanks to the sales and publishing of his prints, and he exhibited regularly in Boston with occasional shows in New York City until the 1940s. He created his first etching in 1888, and in 1911 he produced a series of Boston scenes which launched his fame as a master etcher. Gallagher was a founder of the Monhegan art colony in Maine, which is the setting of many of his popular works.