A charming miniature painting done in watercolor on organic wafer. The subject of this delightful work is a very pretty young woman, with brown hair and eyes, wearing a pleated white dress with a lace lined bodice, at the midpoint a brooch with flowers. An old label attached to the painting attributes this work to Moses B. Russell. Housed in a bronze frame with fabric backing.
The condition of the painting is excellent, with no chips, cracks, paint loss, bowing, or restoration...
A c1840 portrait, attributed to Richard Morrell Staigg, of a handsome older gentleman with a stately presence. Shown in a 2 3/8" by 2" gilt metal case with a glazed aperture in the reverse.
Both the painting and the case are in excellent condition. The lower central section of the painting is not damaged, but was intentionally painted that way, possibly to indicate that the sitter has passed away...
A fine miniature portrait painting done in watercolor on organic material. The young boy, wearing a black hat, white coat, and coral sash, is posed against a background of a blue sky and a tree. The artist has cleverly painted the tree branch to arc over the boy's head, creating a natural framing effect and drawing the eye to the center of the work.
The painting is in excellent condition, with no flaws, and is housed in its original silver case, which measures 1 7/8" by 1 5/8".
A beautifully painted miniature portrait on ivory, signed and dated lower left "Gerald S. Hayward 1882". The sitter is an attractive young woman wearing a diamond necklace and white gown. The background is white clouds against a blue sky...
A fantastic Clarissa Peters (Mrs. Mose B. Russell) mourning painting of a baby and toddler. Peters chose a simple palette of white and bluish-gray to emphasize the ethereal and ephemeral nature of the painting, reserving the use of colors to the hair, lips, and eyes of the subjects. Known for painting children, Peters' mourning paintings are scarce, and double mourning portraits are exponentially rarer yet...
An extremely fine miniature portrait by John Henry Brown, done in watercolors on natural material. One of the best examples of his skill, showing an attractive woman, beautifully painted. Adding to the importance of this piece is that Brown used a trompe l'oeil technique in painting what appears to be matting around the portrait. Signed "J Brown Pinxt" lower left along the curved line of the matte. Inside the case was a piece of paper with information about the sitter: "Mary E...
A fine miniature portrait of a pretty young child, done in watercolors on organic material by William Egley. The case has hallmarks for 9K London gold and a maker's mark for G.S. Both the case and the painting are in excellent condition with no problems. The size is 1 5/16" by 1 1/16".
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: William Egley (1798–1870), was born in Doncaster, England, and moved shortly after to Nottingham...
A wonderful and charming pair of portrait miniatures by Moses B. Russell, housed in their original matching gold-filled engine turned cases, each with the sitter's hair in the reverse aperture.
The beautiful young woman, with blue eyes and dark brown hair, is wearing a royal blue dress trimmed with lace at the bodice. Signed on the backing paper "Painted by MB Russell 1843 This Paper to Stay On," and in pencil "Susan E. Cushing Taken When 17 years of age"...
A wonderful example of a portrait miniature painted by Mrs. Moses B. Russell (nee Clarissa Peters). This work, done in watercolors on natural wafer, is of a blue-eyed woman wearing a black dress with a brooch centered at the lace-edged bodice. Her strong visage, looking directly into eyes of the viewer, is offset by a beautiful and soft multi-colored background...
A beautiful portrait miniature, done in watercolor on natural wafer. The sitter is a lovely young woman wearing a large and striking turban and a lace fichu over a light apricot dress. A brooch below her bodice echoes the circular motif on the turban.
Housed in its original bronze case with a diameter of 3 1/4"...
A beautiful c1840 miniature, painted on natural material by Thomas Seir Cummings. The sitter, a gray-eyed young woman, is in a pale pink off the shoulder dress, and is resting against a blue cushion. The reverse is inscribed in pen with an illegible name and "22 yrs". Presented in a bronze surround set into a burl wood frame. Excellent condition with no issues. The sight size is 3 1/2" by 2 3/4", with a framed size of 7" by 6 1/4".
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Thomas Seir Cummings was born in Englan...
A lovely and ethereal miniature of a blond-haired, blue-eyed beautiful young girl. Signed center left "T.R. Manley 1900", it is in its original gilt sterling case with a beaded edge, with the reverse appearing to be evenly tarnished. Excellent condition with no problems, and measuring 3 1/4" by 2 3/4".
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE : Thomas Rathbone Manley (1853 - 1938), later referred to as "The Dean of the Montclair (NJ) Artists". Originally studying law, he realized his love was painting and enr...
This is a rather large portrait miniature done in body color and watercolor on ivory. The signature on the lower right is "P(or T)ouktuz Sta??er". The signature and attire indicate the painting was probably done by an Eastern European or Russian artist. The subject of this 19th century work is an attractive young girl from a wealthy family, based on the expensive clothing (the fur coat, gloves, hat, and boots).
The condition of the painting is excellent, with some scattered black speck...
A miniature portrait painting by John Wood Dodge of a U.S. naval officer, his position as such identified by the scarf and silver buttons on his jacket. He is posed wearing his glasses, which is rarely seen in portraits. The backing paper of the ivory contains the following information in Dodge's hand:
"Painted by/John W. Dodge/Feb 1850/Natchez Miss".
Based on the detailed records that Dodge kept of his commissions, the sitter is one of three possible men - James Metcalf, David Ker, or Mr...
A beautiful French portrait miniature signed "Mie Bost" center right by Mélanie Bost. The sitter is a young girl in a white lace dress with blue ribbons at the shoulders, her hair parted down the center. Presented in a gold frame with a red glass over guilloche work surround, with small pearls to the exterior border. The reverse with a mother-of-pearl back and a gilt metal pin. Excellent condition with an overall size of 2" by 1 5/8" by 1/4" depth.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Melanie Bost (born ...
A miniature painting done in watercolors on natural material, signed "C. Greiner along the left center. The sitter is a gentleman dressed in the clothing and hair style popular in the 1841 to 1844 period. Presented in a cast foliate case, the reverse being engine turned with a glazed aperture containing a braid of hair and engraved with the initials JLD.
The painting and the case are in excellent condition with no issues. Overall size of 2 3/8" by 2".
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Christopher (or...
A wonderfully detailed portrait miniature, on organic material, of a woman of substantial means, bearing, and physique. She is posed by a console table, and elegantly attired and bedecked with jewelry and an elaborate dress.
The portrait is signed on the lower right by Reinhold Krauss, a known artist listed in Thieme-Becker's "Artists of the World". Excellent condition with no issues.
Housed in a period wooden frame, the sight size is 4" by 2 7/8" and the framed size is 7 1/2" by 5 ...
A fine miniature portrait painting by the important artist John Carlin. This work shows a beautiful young woman posed simply in a white dress. Carlin obviously intended to have the viewer focus on her fine features and luminous eyes.
The painting is signed and dated on the reverse backing papers, and is housed in a brooch. The sight size is 1 5/16" by 1 1/8", and the brooch size is 1 3/4" by 1 1/2". Condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, bowing or restoration. The brooch is missing its...
A beautifully executed miniature portrait painting of a young gent, signed and dated "JH Kimberly Pinxt New York March 1844". It is in its original foliate cast case, measuring 2 3/4" by 2 5/16".
The miniature is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, paint loss, or restoration. (The blurriness in certain areas of the photo is due to light reflection.) The case is also in fine condition, with the reverse of it showing wonderfully engine turned work, and missing its surround an...
A rare miniature portrait, on natural organic material, painted by Thomas LeClear. The sitter is a young man with dark brown hair and eyes, staring almost directly at the viewer. He is dressed in a black coat with silk trim, a black tie, and a white shirt. On the reverse, the painting is signed "Painted by Thomas Le Clear in Buffalo 1842".
The miniature is in excellent condition, with no bowing, chips, cracks, or restoration. It is housed in a thermoplastic case, also without issues. The sigh...
A beautifully painted miniature by Enrichetta Koelman, nee Narducci. Done in watercolor on organic material, it depicts a nice looking gentleman attired in a brown coat and black tie. It is carefully signed along the left edge "1850 Enrichetta Koelman f(ecit)". The painting is mounted in a 14k or 18k gold surround with a wide filigreed depth at the sides, a pin on the reverse, and a mother-of-pearl backing.
The condition is excellent, with no flaws. The size is 2" by 1 1/2" The depth is 1/8"....
A rare miniature portrait by Leopold Unger, painted with watercolors on organic wafer. The sitter, a very attractive blue-eyed young woman with brown hair done in sausage curls, has a wistful or slightly sad expression on her face and in her eyes. She is in a black dress with black lace edging at the bodice, and is sitting in a brownish-red chair, holding a red book, and with a multicolored scarf draped over her arm.
The miniature is signed "P. Unger. px. 1839" along the lower left. The bac...
A beautiful and finely painted miniature portrait painting, done in watercolor on natural material, by Thomas Seir Cummings. The sitter is a very attractive woman wearing an academic or possibly a cleric gown, and a white lace and blue material cap. The frame, which is later, is a beautiful burl wood.
The sight size is 4" by 3", and the framed size is 6 1/2" by 5 1/2". Condition is excellent, with no cracks, chips, paint loss, bowing, or restoration. The slight disturbance along the botto...
A mourning portrait miniature attributed to John Henry Brown of an attractive young woman with blue eyes and long curly hair. The painting is in excellent condition with no problems. The velvet lined leather case is also in excellent condition, with normal and expected light wear to the exterior. The white flecks in the photographs are dust motes, and not present in person. Sight size is 3" by 2 1/2", and the case size is 3 5/8" by 3 1/8".
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: John Henry Brown (1818-1891), b...
A superbly painted portrait of a handsome gentleman, strongly attributed to James Tooley. The sitter has blue eyes, red hair and beard, and is attired in a black jacket, black vest, with a blue-gray waistcoat and cravat.
The artistry shown in this piece is of the highest quality, and the feel and techniques indicate that it was done by James Tooley. Further, on the back of the painting, under the protective paper backing, was a trade label for Kaussler & Smith, a 19th c Philadelphia maker of ...
A rare portrait miniature on organic wafer, painted by W.E. Mynerts (also referred to as M.E. Mynerts), depicting a rosy-cheeked young man wearing a black jacket and tie, and a white collar and shirt. The backing paper indicates that the sitter is Solomon Mills. Research into the name unearthed an obituary from the New Orleans Times of January 23, 1876 (4th photo below) which shows that Mills was born in MA in 1815, and had lived in New Orleans from 1836 until his death.
Housed in a cast foli...
An American miniature portrait painting, on natural organic material, of a very attractive boy with gray-blue eyes, wearing a red velvet jacket. The painting is 2 3/4" by 2 1/4" and is in excellent condition.
An unusual and spectacular pair of portrait miniatures. Although both are signed by Moses B. Russell, it is almost certain, due to slight technique variances, that the portrait of the woman was done by Mrs. Moses B. Russell, nee Clarissa Peters. Although it is known that some of his signed pieces were, in fact, done by her, I know of no other instance where each artist did one of a pair.
The paintings are in excellent condition, with vibrant colors and no cracks, bowing, mold, retouch, ...
A beautiful watercolor on organic material portrait of an attractive young woman wearing traditional Belgian folk attire. She is set against a blue sky with white clouds. The gold pendant case the painting is in is also a work of art, with the reverse having a woven plaits of hair with a gold surround, all set into a wide cobalt glass border.
The painting and case are in superb condition, with no flaws, however minor. The sight size of the miniature is 2 7/8" by 2 1/4", with the case size bein...
A simple but charming Benjamin Trott watercolor of an attractive blue-eyed young woman with a ribbon in her hair and dressed in a white empire gown. There are no condition issues. The sight size is 2 1/2" by 1 7/8", and the later frame is 4 7/8" by 3 78".
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES:
1. From "The Smithsonian Art Museum": Benjamin Trott (c1770 - 1843), thought to have been born in Boston, ranks with Edward Greene Malbone and Charles Fraser as one of America's best miniaturists. During a long career t...
An extremely powerful portrait attributed to Jeremiah Paul Jr., though it is possible that Benjamin Trott was the artist. In any case, due to the technique and strong features of the sitter, the painting has an immediate impact on the viewer and was done by a highly skilled artist.
The overall condition of the painting is excellent, as is the case, The size is 2 7/8" by 2 1/4". Please note that the first photo is an accurate depiction of the miniature, and the second photo, which has all man...
A wonderful miniature by Daniel Dickinson of a handsome gentleman. The sitter is dressed in the height of fashion for the time, wearing a blue jacket with velvet lapels. Note the broadness of the brush strokes and chiseled modeling of the face, both characteristics of Daniel's style, contrasting with his brother Anson's work.
The frame deserves special mention, being gilt silver with a 14K gold back and central plaque with "AM" initials. It is quite thick and weighs about 3 1/2 ounces. The...
A finely painted portrait of a beautiful young woman, done in watercolor on natural wafer. The sitter, identified on the reverse as "Wife of Dr. Kent" is attired in a simple white gown, with no jewelry or other embellishments shown, and is presented against a multicolored background.
The painting is in excellent condition, with no flaws to speak of. The later case shows some wear, and has a cardboard or leather backing. Overall size is 2 5/8" by 2 1/8".
A nice naïve portrait of a woman, painted in watercolors on organic wafer. The sitter is simply presented in a black dress with lace edging at the bodice. An interesting twist is the fragment of a business card in the back of the case. It says "Painter ***wich City CT" (Norwich City). The artist attribution has been made based on a signed example provided by Brad Crisler, shown in photos 3 and 4, and is unmistakable based on technique and the location of Norwich City.
The condition of the pai...
A miniature portrait painting by Abraham Parsell, done in his recognizable style with a multicolored background and the sitter having somewhat frizzy hair, posed with his arm on a chair. Housed in its original cast foliate frame with a glazed rear aperture. The original leather travel case comes with this piece, although it has separated at the hinge and held in place with a safety pin.
The painting is 2 3/4" by 2 1/4". Condition is excellent with no cracks, bowing, paint loss or restoration...
A rare c1835 American miniature by Mrs. Samuel Richardson (1790 - 1852), nee Schetky. It took quite a while, using various lighting settings and filters, to finally discern the almost illegible S (?) Richardson signature along the extreme right. That led me to one of the very few examples of her miniatures, one of which is in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City, MO), which confirmed my interpretation. The painting and the cast foliate case which measures 2 1/8" by 1 3/4" are in excellen...
