Frederick Ferdinand Schafer Painting Catalog

Painting record FFSd1122

The painting itself has several characteristics that suggest that it is actually by Frederick Ferdinand Schafer and a pencilled inscription of Schafer's (misspelled) name on the lower stretcher bar suggests that someone else noticed the same things. The subject matter, overall composition, color palette, consistent direction of illumination, cloud treatment, botanically accurate trees, and foreground debris are all typical of Schafer's work, as well as the profile of Mount Hood being slightly exaggerated and the more distant planes being less finished. The inclusion and appearance of the long boats, teepees, and staffage are also typical, though the lack of an illuminated central focus on those three elements of the composition is quite atypical.

Curiously, the signature is in a printed Germanic hand similar in some ways to that of Schafer and it appears to be under the varnish, suggesting that it was applied at the time of the painting. There are a few other paintings that appear to be by Schafer that bear similarly problematic signatures yet are not obvious attempts to escalate the value of the painting, for example, Mount Hood from Hood River, Oregon [5] (attributed) and [Mountain composition 3 (Matterhorn? and Dent d'Hérens?)].

Some conjectures: (1) In later years Schafer frequently advertised that he would teach painting lessons and even offered to finish paintings started by others. This painting may be an example. (2) Perhaps another artist tried to escalate his reputation by applying his own signature to a work by Schafer. (3) Schafer himself may have applied the signature as some kind of joke.

The unusual signature notwithstanding, the painting is probably the work of Frederick F. Schafer or was largely by him.