The Mended Fence
Print (Etching and/or Engraving with Hand-Coloring) • Attributed to Albert Fitch Bellows (A.F. Bellows)
Style & Movement
American / Victorian Realism and Hudson River School influenced printmaking
Medium & Technique
Hand-colored etching and engraving on paper, utilizing fine line work, cross-hatching, and watercolor tinting
Creation Period
Late 19th Century (circa 1870-1890)
Dimensions & Format
Vertical portrait format; approximately 18 x 24 inches for the sight size, housed in a larger matted and framed presentation
Subject Description
A pastoral landscape featuring a rustic mill with a red-brown roof on the left, a stone bridge crossing a calm river or canal in the mid-ground, a prominent bare-branched tree reaching upward on the right, and a distant church steeple in a small village nestled among lush green trees under an overcast or hazy sky.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good. The paper appears stable with minor toning consistent with age, neatly matted and housed behind glass within a decorative gilt frame.
Estimated Market Value
$150 - $300
Auction Estimate
$100 - $200
Provenance History
Displays a retail/antique shop pricing label at the upper right corner indicating 'The Mended Fence', 'TMF56', 'A.F. Bellows Art Pair', and a price of '$119.31 pair', suggesting it recently originated from an estate sale, antique shop, or secondary decorative art market.
Art Historical Significance
Representative of popular 19th-century picturesque print culture, reflecting the widespread appreciation for nostalgic, idealized rural scenes and European-influenced landscape aesthetics in American art.
Notable Features
Features an explicit handwritten or printed retail label in the upper margin providing attribution ('A.F. Bellows') and title ('The Mended Fence'), alongside delicate hand-tinted watercolor details highlighting the foliage and architecture.
Condition Issues
Potential light foxing or acidification from the matting board over time; minor surface dust trapped behind the glazing.
Conservation Recommendations
Keep away from direct sunlight to prevent further fading of the hand-coloring. If re-framing, use acid-free archival matting and UV-filtering protective acrylic or glass.