Catalog: Fine Art: Paintings: Miniatures (328)

A finely limned miniature portrait painting by Andrew Plimer. The sitter, a beautiful young woman with dark hair and blue eyes, is wearing a high-necked white dress, a pearl necklace and a pearl barette. She is posed against a cloud filled blue sky...

A nicely painted and early miniature portrait of a man done in watercolor on natural organic material. The blue-eyed sitter is a nice-looking gentleman fashionably attired in a full, long wig, a blue loose fitting robe, and white ruffled shirt.

One of the interesting things about this piece is that the original gold case is of a type known as a "slide case"...

This beautiful miniature portrait, painted in watercolor on natural material, is signed "SH 1786" on the right center of the painting, and also on the reverse as "Sophia Howell 1786". The sitter, a woman wearing a white gown with a lace-edged black overpiece, and holding a salmon colored muff, is posed in front of a blue drape and a stone column and plinth...

A charming and beautifully rendered double portrait miniature attributed to Nathaniel Plimer. Executed in watercolors on natural wafer, he depicted, in classical style, an attractive young woman dressed in a low cut white gown with a reddish robe draped around her. The very young and strikingly angelic child, with fulsome red curls, has its arms clasped around the mother's neck.

This appealing gem is in excellent condition, with no flaws...

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 finely painted portrait miniature, on natural wafer, of a bespectacled officer of the 7th Bengal Native Infantry of the Honourable East India Company. Done in vibrant colors and wonderful; detail, the work can be strongly attributed to Raja Jivan Ram. Works from this period in this style by Indian artists are quite uncommon and highly collected. More specifically, very few works by Ram are in private hands.

The painting here is in overall excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, or bowing...

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...

A miniature painting, watercolor on natural wafer, by Mary Ann Knight. The sitter is a young woman with long hair clad in a white dress with low decolletage, posed against a background of trees and a blue sky.

The painting is in excellent condition with no issues. Sight size is 2 9/16" by 2 1/8". The gold pendant case is 2 3/4" by 2 3/8".

NOTE: Mary Ann Knight (1776 - 1851) was born in London and began painting miniatures around 1802...

A beautifully painted watercolor on natural wafer, with a very strong attribution to John Barry as the artist. The sitter is an attractive woman with brown eyes and gray-brown hair cascading down her shoulder. She is wearing a dark blue velvet bow in her hair, a gauzy white fichu, and a blue dress with fine white lines and small white dots.

The painting is in superb condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, or restoration...

A nicely painted American portrait miniature on organic wafer. The fine looking gentleman is nicely set off against a background of blue on the left side and a light brown on the right. Condition is excellent with no cracks, bowing, or paint loss. The case size is 2 1/8" by 1 5/8".

A truly beautiful pair of miniature portraits, on natural wafer, exemplifying Hugh Bridport at his very best. Signed on the back of the boy,, in graphite, "Painted by Hugh Bridport, Phila".

The very handsome gentleman is wearing a black ascot, white collar, white shirt with onyx studs, and a black jacket. The young boy, with fine, light brown hair, is wearing a sky blue garment with white embroidery on the wide collar.

Both miniatures are in superb condition, with no cracks, chips, or bowing...

A very nicely executed pair of portraits of a man and a woman, done in watercolor on card or paper. The woman is identified on the reverse as Elizabeth Gill Elford, painted by J. Mitchell Cox in 1835. The sitter's name and the artist's signature are on card that was cut out and applied to the newer backing, but were part of the original backing to the painting. The man is identified as Benjamin Elford , and signed twice on the back as painted by J...

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...

An extremely fine enamel on copper miniature portrait painting done by William Prewett (Prewitt). The sitter is an older gentleman, of quite aristocratic bearing, wearing a powdered wig, white shirt and stock, and a reddish-brown jacket. The painting is in its original gold bezel case.

Condition is excellent, with no issues. The discoloration at the top is due to scanner reflection. The sight size is 1 7/8" by 1 1/2", while the overall size is 2 1/4" by 1 5/8".

IMPORTANT NOTES:1. This piece ...

A wonderfully painted miniature portrait, on natural organic material, of a young gentleman in a brown coat. The miniature is housed in its original gold bezel and brooch, with an elaborate monogram in gold on the reverse. The overall size is 2" by 1 5/8", and the painting and case are in excellent condition, with no problems. The discoloration in the photos is due to light refraction during scanning.

This piece was sold in 1966 by Charles Woollett, a highly respected London art dealer, and wa...

A beautifully rendered miniature painting, on natural organic material, by John Barry. The sitter is an attractive and stately woman with the mass-like appearance of her hair that is one of the characteristics of Barry's work. The casework is as fine as the painting, with the miniature set in a gold bezel, and the reverse with foil backed blue glass surrounding a display of tightly woven hair.

Both the painting and the case are in excellent condition, with no losses or restoration. Overall siz...

A superb pair of miniature portrait paintings done by Joseph Dunkerley. Labels on the reverse of each case identify the sitters as Joseph Packwood and Denise Wright Packwood, and are dated 1780.

Mrs. Packwood is wearing a large white hat with a blue ribbon and accents, a light blue gown with flowers embroidered on it and with dark lace edging at the bodice. Her husband is wearing a blue jacket and waistcoat, and a white cravat.

Excellent and scarce examples, and in fine condition. The gold...

A fine miniature painting, attributed to Jeremiah Paul, of a handsome brown-eyed man in a black coat and waistcoat, white shirt and cravat. The reverse of the gilt metal pendant case has a glazed aperture containing a wreath and plait of hair, one of which is most likely the sitters and the other of a loved one. E. Grosvenor Paine provenance.

Condition of the painting and the case are both excellent, without problems. Sight size is 2 5/8" by 2 3/8" and the case size is 2 7/8" by 2 5/8".

NOTE...

A very well executed miniature portrait painting of a gentleman, watercolor on natural organic material, by Edward Nash. The leather travel case states that the miniature was owned by Mrs. Thos. Higham. The miniature is in wonderful condition, but lacks an inner case to the travel case. The size is 2 13/16" by 2 5/16".

NOTE: Edward Nash (1778-1821), reportedly a hunchback, exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1800 to 1820. He lived for a while in the Lake District and knew Wordsworth, Coleridge...

A well done miniature portrait painting on natural organic material, with the sitter being Bishop William White. This piece was done based on the original work painted in enamel on copper by William Birch in 1830. This example kept very true to the original.

The painting is in excellent condition, as is its original velvet travel case, although the photo is not of the highest quality. Sight size is 1 3/8" by 1 1/8".

NOTE: William White (1748-1836) was the first bishop of the Protestant Episc...

A fine silhouette done in black and bronze gilt, of an older woman. Although unsigned, the work was unquestionably done by John Field. The reverse of the gilt metal case, which comes with its silk lined red leather travel case, has elaborate and tightly woven hairwork of two colors, indicating that one of them was hers, while the other was of a loved one.

Both the miniature and the case are in excellent condition. Sight size of the piece is 2 3/8" by 1 7/8", with the case size being 2 9/16" b...

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. This, taken with the 1883 date of the painting contrasting with the engraved 1884 date on the reverse of the cast foliate case (along with the sitter's initials of F.L.A.) would be a strong indication that this is a mourning painting, done in the year prior to ...

A finely painted American miniature portrait of a gentleman in a black jacket and tie, posed in front of a red drapery. What makes this highly unusual for a miniature cased portrait is that it is oil paint on wood, rather the the exceedingly more common watercolor on ivory or paper.

There is a very old note in the gilt metal case identifying the sitter as John Calvin Margin, born in 1790, the son of Curtis and Claire Margin, with a reference to Boston, Mass and Binghamton NY.

The painting ...

A nicely done watercolor, on natural organic material, miniature painting by William Massey Stroud Doyle, signed and dated "1814" center left. The sitter is wearing a black coat, red-striped yellow vest, and white shirt. E. Grosvenor Paine provenance.

The painting is is excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, or other problems. The black lacquered frame does have crackling. The sight size is 2 5/8" by 2 1/8", and the framed size is 4 1/2" by 3 7/8".

NOTE: Doyle (1769 - 1828) was...

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.

A fine miniature portrait painting attributed to Theodore V. Peticolas, done on natural organic material, of a nice looking young gentleman with red hair and hazel eyes. He is wearing a brown jacket edged with black velvet, a white shirt with stickpin, and a black velvet bowtie.

The condition is excellent with no problems, as is the condition of the case, which has a glazed aperture on the rear. The size of this charming painting is 2 1/2" by 2".

Note: Theodore Peticolas (1797 - 1866) was ...

An excellent Swiss miniature portrait painting, on natural organic material, of an architect. The subject is a distinguished gray-haired gentleman wearing a blue coat and white shirt, and is seated in an upholstered chair. His elbow is leaning on a table which has a diagram of a bridge. Housed in its original case, the reverse of which is white glass which has the initials CT or TC in the center, surrounded with a border of flowers, all of which is done with hairwork, gold filigree, and black pa...

A fine miniature portrait painting, done in watercolor on natural organic material, by Hugh Bridport. The sitter is a gentleman, purportedly John Trigg. On the reverse of the painting is a preliminary sketch of the subject, which Bridport is known to have done. Only a portion of the sketch is shown, as I did not want to peel back all the paper.

The condition of the miniature is excellent, with no flaws at all. It is housed, with a cover glass, in a red leather wallet-type case. Sight size is 2...

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...

One of the finest miniature paintings done by William Massey Stroud Doyle, showing a young man in a black jacket, white shirt and tie with a stickpin. The finely limned gentleman is shown against a white cloud-filled blue sky. Signed "Doyle 1822" at the lower right.

Not only is the painting itself beautiful, but the original case is also very fine, containing a lock of hair in the glazed rear aperture. Condition of the mini is excellent, with no cracks, chips, or restoration. The case is also...

An American watercolor portrait miniature of a striking young man with brown hair and gray eyes. The sitter is wearing a black coat with brass buttons, a white vest, shirt, and cravat. Signed "Williams" at the lower right, the painting is in the original gilt pendant frame with a cast foliate rim. The reverse of the case has a glazed aperture holding plaited brown hair.

The overall size of the portrait is 2 5/8" by 2 1/4". The condition of the painting is excellent, with no cracks, chips, or ...

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 superb miniature portrait painting by Giovanni Battista Gigola. The sitter, shown in 3/4 length, is a young man attired in a green coat with brass buttons, posed in front of a cloud filled blue sky. Unframed, and in superb condition, with no cracks, bowing, paint loss, or restoration. This fine example of Gigola's work measures 2 1/2" by 2".

Note: Giovanni Battista Gigola (1767 - 1841) is a highly esteemed Italian artist, best known for his miniature portraits on ivory. His works are in ...

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 finely done miniature portrait painting by Joseph Wood. Although unsigned, there is no question that this fine rendering of a young woman was done by Wood.

Sight size of this nice example is 2 1/4" by 1 13/16", and the period case is 2 1/2" by 2 1/16". The condition of the painting is excellent, with vibrant coloring, and no chips, cracks, or restoration. The period case (and glass) is in excellent condition, but it is missing the back, a replacement for which which can be made.

Joseph...

A beautifully limned miniature portrait painting by Elkanah Tisdale. The sitter, though unknown, is a handsome young man dressed in a black coat. The painting measures 3" by 2", and is in superb condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, paint loss, or restoration. It is housed in a later metal case.

Few miniatures by Tisdale are known to exist, and with very rare exception, are, as is the case here, unsigned.

Tisdale was born in CT around 1771, then moved to and worked in NYC from 1794 to ...