Chauncey Foster Ryder’s painting “That Which the Sea Gives Up (Ce Que Rende la Mer)” was first exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1907. Ronald G. Pisano notes in his article, “Chauncey Foster Ryder: Peace and Plenty,” that although Ryder was primarily a landscape painter, he decided to submit a large-scale figure composition, “That Which the Sea Gives Up”, to the Paris Salon.

Ryder was awarded honorable mention and was one of only three Americans to win an award for painting at the Salon that year. “Like other artists who wished to gain recognition at these annual exhibitions, Ryder had set aside his preference with regard to subject matter in order to accommodate the prevailing taste of the Salon, which favored complex compositions that ‘proved’ the artist’s technical ability.” (Pisano 78) Chauncey Ryder proved that he was an accomplished and skilled artist capable of creating beautiful works on a grand scale that now included masterful figure paintings in addition to landscapes.

Soon after the Paris Salon, “That Which the Sea Gives Up” was exhibited in the “20th Annual Exhibition of American Oil Paintings and Sculpture,” at the Art Institute of Chicago. This exhibition would prove to be significant for the artist both personally and professionally, with his work featured at the Institute alongside works by renowned American artists like James A. McNeill Whistler, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, and John Singer Sargent.

Two years later, in 1909, “That Which the Sea Gives Up” was exhibited at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition where he sold “That Which the Sea Gives Up” along with two other works included in the fine arts exhibition. Important sales soon followed as Ryder increasingly gained recognition. Before Chauncey Ryder’s death in 1949, many of his major compositions were included in several art museums across the country, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. Pisano even notes that Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, who was an admirer of Ryder’s work, purchased one of his paintings for her own collection.

Literature and references: “An American Painter Honored Abroad: Mr. C. F. Ryder, the Landscape Artist Who Received Honorable Mention for Figure Painting in the Paris Salon,” unidentified magazine clipping, January 18, 1908, illustrated as (What Will the End Be?); Ronald G. Pisano, “Chauncey Foster Ryder: Peace and Plenty,” Art and Antiques, September-October 1978, pp. 76-83.

Exhibited: “Le Salon 125e Exposition Oficielle 1907” May 1, 1907, Société des Artistes Français, Paris, France (awarded honorable mention); “20th Annual Exhibition of American Paintings and Sculpture,” at the Art Institute of Chicago, October 22 – December 1, 1907, no. 35, cat. No. 308; and “Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition”, no. 175, 1909.

Provenance: Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, 1909; to Dr. Alfred Raymond in Seattle, Washington, 1909; to Louise Raymond Owens (Dr. Raymond’s daughter); to Seattle Art Museum as gift, 1958; to Sotheby’s, 2006; to Childs Gallery, 2007.