RARE SHERMAN FOOTE DENTON 1890 CHROMOLITHOGRAPH

Antique Rare Chromolithograph c. 1890 Fly-Fishing for Black Bass. The artist was Sherman Foote Denton (1856-1937), a naturalist and noted illustrator of drawings of fish.His work was frequently commissioned by the U.S. Fish Commision, forerunner of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Denton worked as an artist for the United States Fish Commission at the Smithsonian Institute between 1896 and 1890, where he illustrated their reports and also developed and patented a method for mounting fish without losing the natural colors. He became the leading maker of fish models for collectors and museums such as the Smithsonian, the Field Museum in Chicago and the Agassiz Museum at Harvard. This print is one of fifteen chromolithographs that were included in the 1889-1890 folio "Sport or Fishing and Shooting" published by Bradlee Whidden of Boston and edited by A.C. Gould. These prints are based on watercolors that were commissioned for the publication, and illustrated by prominent American artists. Each folio illustration was accompanied by a single leaf of descriptive text followed by an account of the depicted sporting scene. The publication was advertised as having been reviewed for accuracy by a renowned group of anglers and hunters prior to printing. Good condition. Signed Denton and dated 1889, lower left. En verso is the original gallery label "John Nighland Art Dealer , Montclair New Jersey". Nighland was a well-known dealer/collector who represented many important American and European artists. In gilt wood frame with mat under glass measures 19 1/2"x26"x1". Weight 5 pds. PROVENANCE: A Private Charleston, SC Estate Approximate Retail Value is Between: $300 - $350

Condition: good, light mark to mat top