Does anybody recognize this location on Winnipesaukee?

[MRJS]

This painting at The Currier Museum is listed as:

Benjamin Nutting

American, about 1803-1887

Untitled (possibly a view of Lake Winnipesaukee)

If you have a photograph of this view that would be awesome to crack the case!

1853

oil on canvas

[Sue Doe-Nym]

“Woman walking dog in late autumn, waving to friend on jet ski”. 😂

[Descant]

Nice painting. Thanks for posting.

It can be difficult to accurately pin down old landscape locations. It is not uncommon for landscape artists to add features from some other location, or omit a key feature to suit their composition. I have a winter scene of Alton Bay, mostly from the Rt. 11 scenic pull off, circa 1965. The artist told me that there's a section of fence that came from the other side of Gunstock, and couple of other details that came from other sites. No buildings. I have a recent painting of the Welch Island lighthouse that has a dock in the foreground that doesn't
exist in that location. I don't know this artist personally.
In the instance of the painting at the Currier, I would guess it is not known if the fence, cottage, etc. are accurate for that location. Maybe yes, maybe no. So, if somebody has a photo, the ID would have to revolve around land physical features. Definitely a challenge.
I will certainly be intrigued, if there are several other examples of this artist's work, if comparing such features would perhaps be a clue.

[thinkxingu]

Is there anywhere on the lake where the mountains are layered like that? I would think that would be the key.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Riviera]

I have a wild guess. It looks like a view from Wolfeboro Neck, with Parker Island in the foreground, Rattlesnake in the first layer of foreground, and the Belknap Mountain Range in the background. Sleeper would be showing to the left of the tip of Rattlesnake.

The scale doesn't look quite right, but that could be artistic license. The Rattlesnake "humps" were the key to my guess.

[wingnuts]

The layered mountains don't quite fit in but the rest of the picture is similar to the view looking south from the north end of Lake Waukewan...

[tis]

It looks like a church steeple on the left side of the picture in the little village. And is that a lighthouse to the left of the island? As Descant said they often take "license" so you don't know. It just looks too closed in to be the lake.........Things like this drive me crazy though.

[Dad207]

Yes. with you on that interpretation. Some license, of course, with generational change, but the Rattlesnake view makes a lot of sense .

[MRJS]

Those birch bark jet skis really ought to be allowed in the wooden boat show!

[MRJS]

Originally Posted by Sue Doe-Nym

“Woman walking dog in late autumn, waving to friend on jet ski”. 😂

Those birch bark jet skis really ought to be allowed in the wooden boat show!

[Sue Doe-Nym]

I have been waiting to see how long it would take for someone to get the jet ski reference in a 1800s painting! I was just having a little fun! 😂

[MRJS]

Originally Posted by Riviera

I have a wild guess. It looks like a view from Wolfeboro Neck, with Parker Island in the foreground, Rattlesnake in the first layer of foreground, and the Belknap Mountain Range in the background. Sleeper would be showing to the left of the tip of Rattlesnake.

The scale doesn't look quite right, but that could be artistic license. The Rattlesnake "humps" were the key to my guess.

That is a very good possibility. Here is a view I took from Google Earth per your suggestion.

Rattlesnake Island is very distinct with those Lochness Monster humps. I think an artist would only paint that profile by actually seeing it in real life.

The island to the left of center might be Ship or Moose Island enlarged.

The houses and boat houses to the left of the painting might be indicative of the entrance to Alton Bay.

At first I thought the artist showed a clearing for Mount Major in the upper left of the painting and then realized it's probably foliage on the tree.

In conclusion, I think Wolfeboro Neck is a great hypothesis! Thank you.

[MRJS]

Originally Posted by Sue Doe-Nym

I have been waiting to see how long it would take for someone to get the jet ski reference in a 1800s painting! I was just having a little fun! 😂

It might have been a steam punk jet ski like this! After all, Wolfeboro is the oldest summer resort! Lol

[MRJS]

Originally Posted by tis

It looks like a church steeple on the left side of the picture in the little village. And is that a lighthouse to the left of the island? As Descant said they often take "license" so you don't know. It just looks too closed in to be the lake.........Things like this drive me crazy though.

I responded to Riviera's theory that it might be a view from Wolfeboro Neck toward Rattlesnake Island. I'm wondering if the church steeple and houses to the left of the picture are indicating the entrance to Alton Bay?

[StevenGilford]

Endorsing the Wolfeboro Neck identification

[MAXUM]

The only problem that I see with that theory of vantage point is the fact that the area of open water from Wolfeboro neck to rattlesnake appears to be way to small. Furthermore, if you look to the left there there is a clearing with a little "village" on a hill side doesn't really correlate to the shoreline along the eastern side of the broads. Therefore, I would then suggest the total opposite side of the lake, particularly Center Harbor. Vantage point would be southern shore looking north and the islands pictured would be half mile or maybe mile? The little village on the hill to the left is more like where the present-day village of Center Harbor is. Finally, if you look closely at the far shore, it almost looks like a natural beach, again if looking north from the southern shore you'd see the long beach just beyond where the mount is docked?

Of course, we'll never know for sure!

[MRJS]

Originally Posted by StevenGilford

Endorsing the Wolfeboro Neck identification

Wow, great pic! That's some good ammo there.

[MRJS]

Originally Posted by MAXUM

The only problem that I see with that theory of vantage point is the fact that the area of open water from Wolfeboro neck to rattlesnake appears to be way to small. Furthermore, if you look to the left there there is a clearing with a little "village" on a hill side doesn't really correlate to the shoreline along the eastern side of the broads. Therefore, I would then suggest the total opposite side of the lake, particularly Center Harbor. Vantage point would be southern shore looking north and the islands pictured would be half mile or maybe mile? The little village on the hill to the left is more like where the present-day village of Center Harbor is. Finally, if you look closely at the far shore, it almost looks like a natural beach, again if looking north from the southern shore you'd see the long beach just beyond where the mount is docked?

Of course, we'll never know for sure!

Another excellent possibility. A supporting factor for your suggestion is in the foreground. The hunter is at a higher elevation than the houses below. That's the way it looks when entering Center Harbor on route 25 with the road up high and the houses down low.

Hmmm...

[SAMIAM]

I believe that is a painting of a scene from Coe Hill looking toward the Ossipee mountains. Aaron Smiths field and homes by the water. Center Harbor Village is just out of the picture.
The artist took some liberties with the shape of the mountains but I've seen an identical painting with the subjects and different shape of the mountains

[MRJS]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

I believe that is a painting of a scene from Coe Hill looking toward the Ossipee mountains. Aaron Smiths field and homes by the water. Center Harbor Village is just out of the picture.
The artist took some liberties with the shape of the mountains but I've seen an identical painting with the subjects and different shape of the mountains

Here is a screen shot of the view from Coe Hill on Google Earth. That is the shallowest angle I could get for a tilt.

Is this roughly the view you have seen in other paintings? Thank you.

[upthesaukee]

As I read all the ideas about the vantage point location and its view, I notice almost all of the land, except for a few small areas, are heavily forested.

I would think that in the period from the early to late 1800s, a great deal of the land would have been clear cut, devoid of trees, with much of the land either used for farming or pasture land, mainly for sheep. Think hiking in the woods now and finding stone walls nowhere near today's roadways.

While this "might" be somewhere around Winnipesaukee, I do agree with others that the artist utilized a great deal of artistic license, especially with the forests.

JMHO

Dave