Fellow Hudson River school artists Jervis McEntee, along with Robert Ferguson Weir, Worthington Whittredge and Richard William Hubbard carried Gifford's casket to the cemetery. McEntee writes about it in his diaries: "As I came home in the twilight, I looked at the beautiful mountains where we had been so much together and which glorify so many of his canvases."

Announcing the Discovery of the Grave of Hudson River School Artist Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823-1880)

We are pleased to announce the discovery in Hudson, NY of the grave of the important 19th-century American landscape artist Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823-1880). Neglected and untended for decades, the Gifford family plot includes 20 graves. The artist is buried alongside his wife Mary on a hillside in the oldest portion of the beautiful Cedar Park cemetery. A restoration plan has been formulated, a professional mason has been engaged to repair and re-set the stones, and the site will be open for viewing in the Summer of 2011.

This project is a collective endeavor by American painting dealer Peter Jung, art historian Alexandra Polemis, and art enthusiast Paul Stein. Donations large and small to support the effort are welcome. Preliminary estimates indicate that expenses for this project will fall into the $10,000-$15,000 range.

If you would like to be supportive, checks may be written to Historic Hudson/Gifford's Grave, and sent to: Peter Jung, 512 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534. Your contribution is tax-deductible and much appreciated. You may also contribute via PayPal by clicking on the 'Donate' button at left. Donors of $1,000 or more will be acknowledged on this website and on a plaque at the Gifford site, if so desired.






(click on photos for more images)




Progress

July 16, 2010

Stone mason Aldo Lavaggi doing photo documentation at the site, prior to beginning his work.


Gifford Images


Examples of paintings by Sanford Robinson Gifford
(click on images to enlarge)

A Gorge in the Mountains (Kauterskill Clove), 1862
Oil on canvas; 48 x 39 7/8 in.
Metropolitan Museum of Art



Morning on the Hudson, Haverstraw Bay, 1866
Oil on canvas, 14 1/4 x 30 1/4 in.
Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection



Marshes of the Hudson, 1878
Oil on canvas, 16 1/2 x 30 1/2 in.
The Lunder Collection
Colby Museum of Art


Lake Nemi (Italy), 1856-57
Oil on canvas; 39 5/8 x 60 3/8 in.
Toledo Museum of Art


Sunset Over the Palisades on the Husdon, 1879
Oil on canvas; 18 1/8 x 34 1/8 in.
Private Collection


A Sudden Storm, Lake George, circa 1877
Oil on canvas; 18 x 31 1/4 in.
Private Collection


A Lake Twilight, 1861
Oil on canvas; 15 1/2 x 27 1/2 in.
Private Collection