Great Egret
Watercolor by H. Kane McVickar

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Great Egret detail
detail: signature
detail
H. Kane McVickar (1913-2002)
Great Egret
American: Mid 20th Century
Watercolor on paper
Signed lower right H.K. McVickar
18 x 14 inches, overall
Sold, please inquire as to the availability of similar items.

Natural history painting of a great egret standing on a tidal flat beside a cluster of vegetation. It has mostly white feathers, black legs and feet, and the characteristic features of breeding plumage: orange bill, light blue patch between the eye and the bill, and wispy ornamental feathers on its chest and upper parts. In addition, there is a crest of dark blue feathers on its head, with two light blue wispy feathers extending from it. The scene is likely in Florida, where the artist lived and was known to paint marine life; great egrets live there year round.

H. Kane McVickar was a painter who worked primarily in watercolors. He is best known for his birds and seashore views — particularly of Florida, where he had a residence in Boca Grande, and in Martha's Vineyard, where spent summers. As a teenager he studied art with Julius Delbos. Later he graduated from Harvard University, and served five years with the U.S. Army in World War II, rising to the rank of captain. His subject matter arose from his love of the ocean; he was an avid sailor and fisherman. McVickar painted throughout his life, exhibiting at the Old Sculpin Gallery in Martha's Vineyard.

Reference:

"H. Kane McVickar, 89, Loved Sailing and the Sea." Vineyard Gazette. 23 September 2002. http://vineyardgazette.com/obituaries/2002/09/24/h-kane-mcvickar-89-loved-sailing-and-sea (9 February 2015).