c.1884-1889
Oil on canvas, 17 1/8 x 11 5/8”
Signed upper right

Schmitt, an Ohio native, was one of the “Knockers” who met weekly in the Silvermine, Connecticut, studio of sculptor Solon Borglum to critique one another’s work. Their annual exhibitions, which began in 1908, drew crowds to their small community, which straddles Norwalk, New Canaan, and Wilton. The group evolved into the Silvermine Guild of Artists in 1922.

When Schmitt exhibited etchings in the 1910 exhibition, a reviewer wished he had also shown his still-life paintings. He lived in Europe in the 1930s and returned to Silvermine in 1939, where he remained until his death at 100 years. He designed many of his picture frames, including this one.