Emma Fordyce MacRae

(American, 1887-1974)

Distant Mountains, 1938

oil on board

signed EMMA FORDYCE MACRAE and dated (upper right); also with multiple "The Estate of Emma Fordyce MacRae" stamps (on the reverse)

39 1/2 x 32 in.

Proceeds from the painting’s sale will directly support Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity. They fund vital research that seeks to revolutionize the way we treat, diagnose and prevent the diseases that cause dementia.

Provenance:

The Artist.

The Estate of the Artist.

By descent in the family of the Artist

Private Collection, United Kingdom.

Lot Note:

Distant Mountains reflects MacRae's interest in layered spaces, cultural references, and the unifying power of color. Here, the artist blends figure and setting with subtle precision. The soft green of the woman’s dress mirrors the tones of the valley landscape seen through the window, creating visual harmony across the composition. The inclusion of the window view adds depth and connects the interior scene to the outside world. MacRae’s gentle modeling and fine outlines lend the figure a quiet presence, balancing flatness with volume.

Framed: 46 1/2 x 38 1/2 in.

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Adam Veil

VP, Head of Department, American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists

[email protected]267.414.1221

Adam Veil serves as Vice President and a Fine Art Specialist at Freeman’s.

Veil joined Freeman’s in 2021 following years of experience in both the auction world and the academy. His area of specialization is pre-WWII American Art, although he has lectured and published on topics ranging from Mexican landscape painting and Old Master printmaking to art market economics.

Veil earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in art history from Penn State University and pursued doctoral studies at Indiana University Bloomington. Prior to joining Freeman’s, Veil was Head of Fine Art at a Washington, D.C.-area auction house, and Executive Director of the Santa Fe Art Auction, where he oversaw market-setting auctions of classical and contemporary Western, Southwestern, and California art. He has also held positions in provenance research, art fair operations, and as editor and producer of The Conversation, a popular Los Angeles–based contemporary art podcast. Concurrent with his role at Freeman’s, Veil is a professor at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches courses in Renaissance, Modern, and American art history.

American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists

Distant Mountains, 1938

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