William Preston Phelps (American, 1848-1923), The Boaters

Oil on canvas (wax lined), signed at lower left, presented in a period appropriate frame from Guido Frame Studio in Boston.

Stretcher size 18 x 30 in.; Frame dimensions 26 x 38 in.

William Preston Phelps was an American landscape painter known for his depictions of the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the American West. Born in Dublin, New Hampshire, he showed early artistic talent and later studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, where he developed a strong foundation in European academic painting. His landscapes, influenced by the Hudson River School and European realism, focused on mountains, forests, and rural scenes with careful attention to light and atmosphere. Later in his career, he traveled west, painting ranches and cattle drives. Despite health challenges in his later years, he continued to paint, leaving behind a body of work that remains appreciated for its detailed and naturalistic approach.

The painting has a wax lining, with slight age cracking and scattered light retouching visible under UV light.