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#339. The Old Mill.

8.5 × 7, oil on vellum. Signed "GM" lower right; multiple other inscriptions (see below). Bought by an artist in 2025 from a thrift store in New Jersey. The painting itself is mounted on a sheet of paper, which in turn is mounted on thin cardboard with a hinged cutout to frame the work. It looks ready to frame as a print. There are four other Munger paintings of this scene: #224, #255, #324, and #338. This version may be a field sketch, and the others studio paintings based on it. It is not settled where the mill is located. Informed speculation (see the other versions) to date is that the mill is located in Maryland. However, this example bears three inscriptions that point to Marin County north of San Francisco. (See the mounting and the inscriptions here.)

On the paper backer at the bottom in clear longhand: "Painted for me by Gilbert Munger Esq. (celebrated American artist) San Rafael Cal 1869"
On the bottom of the painting, badly faded, as deciphered by ChatGPT: "Along the road in San Rafael, California -- Painted and presented to Edwin A. Stevens by Gilbert Munger"
On the right edge of the painting (very indistinct): "... San Rafael ..."

The owner asked two Marin County historians about this. They say that the only mill located in San Rafael was built in the 1870s, and the mountain in the background would not have been visible. There is a creek in neighboring San Anselmo, which would give that view, but the historian said there has never been a mill on San Anselmo Creek. Other mills in Marin County were on Lagunitas Creek, and in Mill Valley and Larkspur. None of them resemble the painting. So the painting is still classified here as an unknown locale in the US.

Stevens was associated with the California Weekly Mercury and the Alta-Californian newspapers in San Francisco. He was living in San Francisco in 1869. Image provided by the owner.

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