Frederick Sturges [d. 1917], New York, and Fairfield, Connecticut;[1] his son, Frederick Sturges, Jr. [1876-1977], New York, and Fairfield, Connecticut; bequest 1978 to NGA. [1] Although family tradition held that all of the Durand paintings in the Sturges collection were first owned by Jonathan Sturges, no evidence supports that assumption for _A Pastoral Scene_. Even though the evidence is inconclusive, it is more likely that Jonathan's son, Frederick Sturges, Sr., purchased the painting from the artist in 1858. In June 1858 Frederic Sturges, Sr., wrote to the artist: "I beg to enclose my check for five hundred and fifty dollars and I would again thank you for my beautiful picture" (letter of 16 June 1858, Durand papers, New York Public Library, as quoted in David B. Lawall, _Asher B. Durand: A Documentary Catalogue of the Narrative and Landscape Paintings_, New York, 1978: 120). Lawall (letter of 14 April 1980 in NGA curatorial files) agrees that _A Pastoral Scene_ may be the painting referred to in this letter, but notes that $550 would have been an appropriate price in 1858 for a painting measuring 30 by 40 inches, considerably larger than _Pastoral Scene_. Paintings by Durand of the size of the present example likely would have cost about $250 $300 in 1858 (see, for example, Lawall 1978, nos. 206 and 236), and even smaller pictures sold for about $100 (letter from Sturges to John Durand, 22 June 1858, John Durand papers, New York Public Library as quoted in a letter of 2 April 1982 from Wayne Craven in NGA curatorial files).