Catalog: Fine Art: Paintings (339)

A fine miniature portrait painting, on natural organic material, attributed, by two experts, to Joseph Saunders. The sitter is a young boy dressed in blue garb with gray trim. Condition is excellent, with no issues. The piece is actually much better in person than the photos indicate...

A strong English portrait miniature on natural wafer that will cause you to see spots before your eyes. However, they are on a high-necked dress worn by this woman whose attire also features a cap or wide headband. The reverse of the 2 1/2" by 2 1/8" gilt metal case has interwoven plaits of hair. Excellent condition.

A fine portrait miniature by William Charles Ross, executed in watercolor on natural organic material. The subject, a gentleman with receding brown hair and blue eyes, is fashionably attired in a brown jacket, white collar, black vest, shirt, and ascot, which sports a turquoise and gold stickpin...

An extremely well painted miniature portrait of a very handsome young man. The sitter is dressed in the traditional black coat and cravat, white shirt with a high stiff collar, and a stickpin. The portrait, on natural organic wafer, is housed in a 14K or higher gold case with a glazed rear aperture showing a lock of hair. Condition of the miniature and case are excellent, with no issues at all. Sight size is 2 1/8" by 1 3/4", and the locket size is 2 1/4" by 1 7/8".

A naïve miniature watercolor on wafer painting of a gentleman with a piercing gaze and a neatly trimmed beard. Set against a darkish green background, he is wearing a black jacket, vest, and tie with a stickpin. In a cast foliate case with a coil of plaited hair in the glazed window on the reverse.

Condition is excellent, with no issues. Sight size is 2 1/8" by 1 3/4", and the overall size is 2 3/8" by 2".

A well painted miniature portrait on natural organic material of a sea captain, identified on the reverse as "Phillip…MHK Captain". The miniature is in very good condition, with no cracks, chips, bowing, or restoration. The period lacquered frame is missing its cover glass, easy enough to replace. Sight size is 2 7/8" by 2 3/8", and the frame size is 5 1/8" by 4 3/8".

A beautifully executed miniature folk art watercolor on thin card portrait by J. H. Gillespie, housed in a cast foliate metal locket with an aperture on the reverse.

The condition is excellent, with no issues whatsoever. The reverse of the case is lacking the surround and glazing to the aperture.

Note: Gillespie was active on the East Coast of North America, Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia around the 1829-1838 time period...

A nicely executed miniature portrait painted on organic wafer by Thomas Hull. The sitter is a blue-eyed gent in a blue coat, frilled chemise, and white waistcoat. Presented in a gilt metal frame with a collection label on the reverse.

The condition of the painting and the frame are excellent, with no issues. The dark areas at the edges of the painting are due to light refraction in the photos and do not appear in person...

A fine and charming portrait miniature with an unusual and exceptional reverse. The sitter is a sweet woman painted in an ethereal manner. She is wearing pearl earrings and a cream gown with a pair of roses at the low point of the neckline. There is a lace fichu with a double blue line at the border...

A fine American miniature portrait of a young woman with sausage curls, wearing a lace cap and fichu, with a black dress with black dots. The watercolor painting is done on natural wafer, and enclosed in a period cast bronze foliate case with a glazed aperture on the reverse.

The miniature has no chips, cracks, or bowing. The painting slipped slightly in its case when I scanned it, but this is easily adjusted. Sight size is 2 1/4" by 1 7/8", while the case size is 2 3/4" by 2 1/4".

An incredibly charming portrait miniature brooch of a young child, painted on natural material. The subject is beautiful, wearing a coral necklace and a pale lavender gown, and with brown eyes that were so finely and realistically painted with such depth that it is almost hard to believe when seeing this gem in person.

The condition is excellent, with no issues, and the overall size is 1 3/8" by 1".

Considering all the feathers and foliage, I wouldn't be surprised if there were a bird actually living in the mass of ostrich feathers, flowers, and upswept hair of the blue-eyed sitter. This late 18th century miniature is in excellent condition and is presented in a 1 5/8" by 1 3/8" gold bracelet clasp.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Francisca Efigenia Meléndez y Durazzo, sometimes given as Francisca Meléndez de Múquiz (1770–1825) was a Spanish miniaturist and pastellist...

A pair of oil on card paintings, each signed lower left, by C. Ph. Weber. The first is of a church and churchyard behind a rock wall. The second depicts fishing along the Delaware river. Typical of the artist's work is the fine use of light and color, rendering an almost impressionistic feel.

Condition of the paintings is very good, with no damage or restoration...

A striking miniature with a good attribution to George Newcombe. As opposed to the more usual bust length rendering, this is a 3/4 length pose. That, combined with the style of the dress, intentionally gives a longer, or imposing, feel to the figure.

When the organic substrate of the painting was trimmed, it was done unevenly and close to an edge, so it could be framed better than in the current half of a travel case. Sight size is 3 1/8" by 2 1/2".

A miniature portrait of a handsome gentleman in a blue jacket with gold buttons. Presented in the original cast foliate case, the reverse having chessboard hairwork centered with "RD" initials in underlying gold topped with pearls.

Excellent condition with any apparent issues being due to my infamous photographic skills. The case size is 2 1/2" by 2".

A fine watercolor on card portrait done by Paul Gomien. The sitter is a woman wearing a puffy sleeved gray-blue dress with a lace collar. Her accessories include a black belt and a gold necklace.

In addition to being signed "Gomien" and dated "1822" along the center right edge the reverse has a trade card reading "P. Gomien/Peintre, Rue St. Honore No 247 pres le Palais Royal". For the period and location this is quite rare...

A wonderfully done naïve portrait of an older woman identified on the reverse as Almira Coolidge of Boston. The 3/4 length depiction shows the sitter holding a handkerchief and wearing a lace trimmed white bonnet, white lace fichu, and a red scarf over a black puff-sleeve dress with gold buttons. The background is nicely done in a striated and shaded blue-gray...

A nicely done late 18th century miniature of a woman wearing a blue dress and white fichu, her powdered hair with an interwoven white ribbon. Presented in a gilt bracelet clasp mount. Excellent condition with an overall size of 1 3/8" by 1 1/8".