Much of the artwork you see here on the second floor are recent donations or long-term loans to the Castle Preservation Society. These are works of art that have no historic connection to Lucknow Estate or the Plants, but they are lovely examples of late 19th and early 20th century paintings and are often the work of New England artists.
Some of these recent donations depict local scenery and are works by artists of the White Mountain School. The White Mountain School of art consisted of over 400 artists who were active during the 19th century and whose landscape scenes portrayed New Hampshire’s natural beauty. In the Staircase Hall, you will see two oil paintings on canvas that depict the same view of the Belknap Mountains at different times of the year, and both of these are by the artist William Paskell. Though born in London, Paskell grew up in Boston and is considered one of the last painters of the White Mountain school. The summer scene is signed with one of Paskell’s pseudonyms, H. Howe. The autumn scene is unsigned.
Other recent donations include “View from Sugar Hill” by Clifford Grear Alexander, and a water color of red carnations by Henry Webster Rice. There are two paintings in the boudoir – one of yellow roses, and one of hydrangeas – that are both the work of Raoul de Longpre. These have been loaned to the Castle by a private collector.
You will also find a piece depicting a rowboat on a river that is signed T. Bailey. Unfortunately, we don’t have any other information about T. Bailey. This was a pseudonym used by several artists associated with the Massachusetts communities around Cape Ann, who painted for the tourist trade during the early to mid-20th century. It is also rumored that T. Bailey was a second pseudonym used by William Paskell.
In addition to our recent acquisitions, there are three Gouache paintings hanging in the second floor hallways believed to have been owned by Tom and Olive Plant. Gouache is described as an “opaque watercolor” and was a popular folk art style among 19th-century Neapolitan School painters. These unsigned paintings were likely done as part of the tourist trade, and all three depict the bay of Naples during one of the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius. These paintings are titled Napoli dal Campo, Napoli da Capodimonte, and Veduta del Golfo di Napoli con eruzione. It is possible that the Plants purchased these pieces while traveling in Europe in the 1910s.
