Bryson Burroughs (American, 1869-1934), Hylas and the Nymphs

Oil on canvas (lined), 1913, signed and dated to tree trunk at center of composition, presented in a stenciled and gilt Italian style frame inscribed "Laurent" to verso.

Stretcher size 18 x 30 in.; Frame dimensions 23 3/4 x 35 3/4 in.

Henry Bryson Burroughs was an American painter and influential curator. Born in Hyde Park, Massachusetts, and raised in Cincinnati, he studied at the Art Students League in New York under Kenyon Cox and H. Siddons Mowbray, earning a Chanler Scholarship in 1890 to pursue advanced studies at the Académie Julian and École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was notably influenced by Puvis de Chavannes. His own artwork reflects a restrained, classicist vocabulary—marked by simplified modeling, light tonality, and mythological or allegorical themes.
In 1906, Burroughs began his curatorial career at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as assistant to Roger Fry, becoming Curator of Paintings in 1909 and serving until his death in 1934. Balancing painting and curatorial leadership, Burroughs left a lasting legacy both as a traditional figure painter and as a forward-thinking steward of the Met’s collection. In 1935, the Met presented a memorial exhibition of Burroughs paintings. During his lifetime, he exhibited at the Met, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, Albright Art Gallery and other venues.

The frame was designed and made by Robert Laurent (Concarneau, France 1890 - 1970 Cape Neddick, Maine). Laurent was a sculptor but also a master frame maker, crafting frames for artists including Childe Hassam and Robert Henri.

Significant retouch visible under UV light, not discernible under natural light.