The following description has been prepared entirely by the current owner, Roberts S. Fastov, Esq., and, at the collector’s request, has not been edited by Sloans & Kenyon

Note 1): This work was probably one of the first executed by Lippincott, after his return from France to the U.S. in 1882. The following biographical materials are taken from the Askart.com website:

“Born in Philadelphia, William Lippincott was a painter of interiors, portraits, landscapes, figure and genre scenes, who eventually settled in New York City and taught at the National Academy of Design. He was also noted as a painter of set designs including for "La Boheme" and "Salambo", and as an illustrator.

He attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In 1874, he went to Paris, studied with Leon Bonnat, became a plein-air painter, shared a studio with Americans Edwin Blashfield, Milne Ramsey, and Charles Pearce. He exhibited in the Paris Salons until 1882 and then returned to the United States where he set up a studio in New York City. He exhibited regularly for more than 40 years at the National Academy of Design, elected an associate member in 1884 and a full academician in 1897. He taught at the Academy and was key to setting up still life as a regular part of the curriculum. He emphasized to his students the importance of color and form as well as drawing. In addition to the National Academy, Lippincott was a member of the New York Etching Club, Philadelphia Sketch Club, and American Watercolor Society.

He died after being hit by a train in Pennsylvania in 1920.

Lippincott’s art is held by a number of major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Academy of Design Museum, both in New York City, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C."

Note 2) “The Magenta Chapeau” is a watercolor tour de force in terms of technique and level of manifest artistic skills. It is by far and away the best and most attractive of Lippincott's watercolors, that has appeared at auction, and when compared with oil paintings, are relatively rare, the best of which, "Afternoon Tea" brought $264,000 in 2007 and is only slightly larger (14.50 in. x 18 in.) than “The Magenta Chapeau” (16 ¼ in. x 10 3/8 in.):

Title/Subject: Afternoon Tea Signed. Oil on panel. 14.50 in. x 18 in. sold for $264,000 on 5/24/2007 at Christie’s, NY

The only comparable Lippincott oil, in terms of subject matter, albeit considerably smaller than

“The Magenta Chapeau,” was "The Flowered Hat," which was 12.70 in. x 7.50 in. and brought

$10,800

.

Title/Subject: The Flowered Hat Oil on canvas. Signed. 12.70 in. x 7.50 in. sold for $10,8000 on 6/22/2005 at Sotheby’s, NY

There is no illustration of a comparable auctioned watercolor to the “The Magenta Chapeau,” in terms of the manifest skill and the sheer physical appeal, because it is a study of a very beautiful, dignified young woman. The only arguably comparable watercolor might be the unillustrated Artprice.com entry for the following watercolor, "Young Lady Sewing," which is much smaller (10 1/2 in. x 8 14 in.) and brought $8,250 without the buyer's premium.

Title/Subject: [No Photograph]Young Lady Sewing Signature information not available. Watercolor on paper. 10 ½ in. x 8 ¼ in. sold for $8,250 on 5/21/1999 at Roberson's Auction, Wallkill NY

The other unillustrated Lippincott watercolor, "Nature's Pathway," which appears to be a large watercolor pure landscape, brought the record hammer price of $14,516 without the buyer's premium on 9/26/1990 for the mere handful of Lippincott watercolors that have been offered and sold at auction from 1990 to the present, as follows is:

Title/Subject: [No Photograph] Nature's Pathway Signature information not available. Watercolor on paper mounted on canvas. 32 ¼ in. x 45 ½ in. sold for $14,516 on 9/26/1991 at Sotheby’s, NY

Given all of the foregoing considerations, the above presale estimate of $6,000-$9,000 is reasonable and justifiable for "The Magenta Chapeau."