Christie’s announced a prestigious collection of Hudson River School paintings from the Collection of Kevin and Barrie Landry will be offered in the American Art sale on November 20 in New York. One of the finest groupings of Hudson River School artists to appear on the market in decades, all sale proceeds will benefit philanthropies that support the global refugee crisis, UNICEF USA, RefugePoint, and The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. Inspired by their love for America the couple were drawn to the Hudson River School artists who celebrated nature, discovery, exploration and patriotism. Artists include Frederic Edwin Church, Asher Brown Durand, George Henry Durrie, Sanford Robinson Gifford, David Johnson and John Kensett, among others. Comprised of 13 lots, the collection is expected to realize in excess of $2,000,000. 

Barrie Landry remarks, “For both Kevin and me, these paintings represent love letters to our country, honoring rugged individualism and the beauty of place.  Kevin was a patriot whose favorite holiday was the 4th of July. As such, Kevin was particularly attracted to this period of art because of its emphasis on the natural beauty of the landscape and man’s relationship to it.”

Speaking about the decision to donate auction proceeds to support the global refugee crisis, Barrie continues, “Our country was founded on the principle of E pluribus Unum, out of many one. Our country’s diversity and welcoming of others has made us strong and will continue to make America strong.” 

A highlight of the collection is a tour de force of 19th century American art, On Otter Creek by Frederic Edwin Church, the leading American painter of his day (estimate: $400,000-600,000). In this bucolic scene set against a dramatic backdrop of towering hills, a covered bridge at center of the composition is the only sign of human intervention, conveying the central motif of the Hudson River School movement on the sublimity of nature. Another leading work is John Frederick Kensett’s Duck Hunter, First Beach, Newport, Rhode Island created in 1859 during a pivotal period in the artist’s painting style that demonstrated a transition from the traditional Hudson River School aesthetic to a modern Luminist treatment of light and form, which resulted in a spontaneous yet highly finished canvas painted directly from nature (estimate: $200,000-300,000). Additional top lots include Haymaking by Asher Brown Durand (estimate: $250,000-350,000), Tropical Landscape by Louis Rémy Mignot (estimate: $150,000-250,000), and Lake Winnipesaukee by Sanford Robinson Gifford (estimate: $200,000-300,000).

Kevin Landry (1944-2013) was a longtime chief executive of the private equity firm TA Associates in Boston, and he was active in Boston’s civic, educational and philanthropic communities. He served on numerous boards, was a trustee of the Museum of Fine Arts, and he and Barrie were major benefactors to Harvard University, Middlesex School, the Westover School, Massachusetts General Hospital, the Museum of Fine Arts, UNICEF USA and the Maranyundo Initiative. Barrie has continued to honor Kevin’s legacy by supporting many organizations he cared about, while focusing on social justice issues often faced by vulnerable populations. She also contributes to these issues through her board leadership on UNICEF USA, RefugePoint, and St. Boniface Haiti Foundation.