PBA Galleries

6.5 x 8.5”, pasted to backing paper, with handwritten caption “Flamme de Tokay Grapes”.

A very early example of the Vinology still-life art for which Way would later become famous.

Born in Washington, DC in 1826, Andrew John Henry Way studied art in Cincinnati and Baltimore, then went to Europe in 1850 to continue his studies in Paris and Florence. Returning to Baltimore after four years, in 1859 he changed his focus from painting portraits to still-life scenes, winning “considerable distinction” for his “mouthwatering” paintings of grapes (and oysters), which could be found in many wealthy Baltimore homes. Winning a medal at the 1876 Centennial Exposition, he was an organizer of the Maryland Academy of Fine Arts, and a leading figure in the cultural life of Baltimore, where he died in 1888. His paintings of grapes, which have recently brought substantial sums at auction, can be found at the Smithsonian and other art museums.