The Life and Art of
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American Tourists Passing the Col de Balme, Switzerland
Samuel L. Gerry (1813–91)
Signed, lower right: “SL. Gerry.”; undated
Illustration of Samuel L. Gerry’s painting from 1776–1876 Massachusetts Artists’ Centennial Album, 1876
Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society
One of Gerry’s most frequently exhibited works, the painting on which this sketch is based was first shown in Boston early in 1875 in the Studio Building gallery, sparking great public interest. It sold to an unidentified buyer for $460, although a Boston newspaper estimated it was worth $1,000. Gerry exhibited it again in 1876, at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of America. When he showed it again the following year, his daughter Edna was listed as the owner. The current location of the painting is unknown, but this line drawing of it, made by Gerry himself, was published in a booklet made for the Centennial Exhibition that showcased the work of Massachusetts artists on view there. The publication lists the original painting’s dimensions as 36 × 54 inches, which would make it one of Gerry’s largest works.
