What building is this where this game is taking place?! I am stumped.

[novakjr]

From that picture, I'd have to question their choice of diamond configuration... Let's have the "large" open field be the 3rd base foul territory, while those trees are about 12 feet into right field.. My vote goes to the criminally insane...

[aquarius31]

This is a beautiful oil painting but I'm shocked that someone shelled out nearly $10k for this unsigned piece. They either know something we don't know (or at least myself) or got into quite a bidding war with someone else who wanted this badly or both.

[BigJJ]

Agreed.
Maybe the bidders reviewed in-person and figured out the teams. perhaps even players, though that would be less likely.
Anything shy of at least a team ID, and 10k is a very very strong price to pay for a relatively generic, unsigned, piece - even though such an early baseball painting is rare.
maybe a folk art dealer was bidding strongly, seems to qualify as folk art, given primitive construction, period, and lack of fancy authorship.
Will forever be curious as to what that building is, seems like a Washington DC location along a river, Eastern feel, flag, super-large white building.

[novakjr]

Originally Posted by BigJJ

Agreed.
Maybe the bidders reviewed in-person and figured out the teams. perhaps even players, though that would be less likely.
Anything shy of at least a team ID, and 10k is a very very strong price to pay for a relatively generic, unsigned, piece - even though such an early baseball painting is rare.
maybe a folk art dealer was bidding strongly, seems to qualify as folk art, given primitive construction, period, and lack of fancy authorship.
Will forever be curious as to what that building is, seems like a Washington DC location along a river, Eastern feel, flag, super-large white building.

When you mentioned DC, I immediately thought of the main building of St. Elizabeth's Hospital.. I can't say for sure whether or not the building was ever white though. Coincidentally, all joking aside, it was also a hospital for the mentally ill for a while.

[BigJJ]

[aquarius31]

Originally Posted by BigJJ

Agreed.
Maybe the bidders reviewed in-person and figured out the teams. perhaps even players, though that would be less likely.
Anything shy of at least a team ID, and 10k is a very very strong price to pay for a relatively generic, unsigned, piece - even though such an early baseball painting is rare.
maybe a folk art dealer was bidding strongly, seems to qualify as folk art, given primitive construction, period, and lack of fancy authorship.
Will forever be curious as to what that building is, seems like a Washington DC location along a river, Eastern feel, flag, super-large white building.

I would be very impressed if the bidders were able to identify anything about the teams by reviewing it in person although I'm guessing they would be able to confirm that it is an older piece of art (it looks old based on the frame, cracking throughout painting, lack of fluorescence under black light but not sure how they would be able to definitively date it to late 19th century). As for the location, there are many state buildings which start to look the same. I did inquire about the painting a few weeks back and it came from someone in Pennsylvania.

Did you guys see this similar painting which sold last month? The design is VERY similar and if this is not the same artist, it would appear that it's at least inspired by the same artist.

Regardless, it's a beautiful piece of art and I'm sure whoever won it will be very pleased!

[BigJJ]

Thank you very much for showing that second example. Lelands I believe correctly describes as a fairly recent painting - why you always have to see a painting in person.
The frames on both works may be recent.
Same building, scene, etc.
I will send an email to the auction company, notifying them of this other work, and importantly that it was listed with a more recent creation date attribution.