Cornelius Haly  Hankins (1861-1946)

Still Life of Peaches and Grapes with vase in background.

c. 1885

Oil on Canvas. Signed l.r.

10 x 13 1/4 inches

A beautifully rendered  early still life, likely painted around 1885 while Hankins was studying under Robert Henri or William Merritt Chase.

Hankins is one of Middle Tennessee’s best know early 20th century landscape and still life painters. Born in Guntown, Mississippi, Hankins moved to Nashville in 1883 and Studied under Edwin M. Gardner, soon afterwards he move to Eagleville, Tennessee to teach at Miss Clark’s Select School for girls. Hankins then moved to St. Louis to study with Robert Henri, then with William Merritt Chase in New York City. Between 1894 and 1899, he lived and worked in Richmond, Virginia where he completed several important portrait commissions of Confederate Generals for Battle Abbey. By 1904 he was back in Nashville, where he lived the remainder of his life as a portrait, landscape and still life painter.  Hankins was a prolific painter in the 20th century producing many small oil’s on board, it is great to have this early oil on canvas example of his early work. Although the painting is not dated the cast iron stretcher keys on the back of the canvas are patented 1885 which give us an indication of when the painting  was created.

Frame: 15 1/2” x 18 1/2”

$ 2,650