Catalog (181)

A nice miniature painting done by Christopher Greiner. The sitter is a gentleman in a black coat and tie, but Greiner emphasized the somber feel of the painting by using a background of black and dark green.

The painting has no condition flaws, and is housed in a cast foliate pendant case with hair in the glazed aperture on the back. The size is 2 1/2" by 1 3/4".

Note: Not much seems to be known about Christopher (or Christian) Greiner (died 1864), other than that he was a painter and min...

A well painted miniature painting, on natural organic material, by Theodore V. Peticolas. The sitter, from Cincinnati, is a handsome young man in a black coat with a white shirt and a stickpin. This painting was part of a pair belonging to the family, the other one of which was signed and dated by Peticolas. The beautiful gilt brass repousse frame is somewhat earlier, being from c1830.

The miniature is in fine condition, with no chips, cracks or bowing. There has been some slight touchup to a...

A nicely done miniature, on natural wafer, of a gentleman in a black. The reverse of the case is a beautiful example of repousse work, and has an aperture with hairwork within.

The painting is in good condition, with no chips, cracks, or inpainting. The case is in excellent condition and measures 2 1/2" by 2".

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. There are some scattered minor areas of surface dirt on the fishing scene, which could easily be cleaned without harming the painti...

A fine pair of miniature portrait paintings, on natural organic material, housed in a 1/6 plate daguerreotype case, which is embossed in a cartouche on the front and back "M.B. Brady Case Maker NY". Cases by Brady are highly desirable and avidly collected.

As to the wonderful portraits, the first is of a bewhiskered gentleman in a black jacket, vest, and stock, and a white pleated shirt. The woman is attired in a black pleated dress with lace edging, and a white lace cap. It is highly probabl...

A fine mid 19th century watercolor on organic wafer of a good looking young man. The sitter, with blue eyes and brown hair, is wearing a black coat and tie with a white shirt.

This painting is in its original A.P. Critchlow thermoplastic velvet lined case, an item which, in and of itself, is often sought after by collectors. Note that this case was produced even before a patent was granted.

Condition of the painting is excellent, with no issues whatsoever. The case condition is also excellen...

A classic example of a Moses B. Russell portrait on natural wafer, fully signed and dated on the backing card. The sitter is a young woman with brown sausage curls and blue eyes. Obviously from a well-to-do family, she is wearing a blue dress with lace edged sleeves, a cameo brooch at the bodice, a gold ring, and a long gold chain, and has a mink wrap on her lap. The colors are vivid, with the dark mauve chair contrasting nicely with the blue dress. This is an uncommon Russell in that it is a 3/...

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 charming painting done in watercolor on organic material. The child, identified as E.A. Brown (1845-1850) is portrayed against a pink and blue clouded background, indicative that this is a mourning memento. Paintings of young children are always highly sought after and collected.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no issues. The case is damaged on the back, with a section missing, which does not detract from the desirability of this little gem. The size is 1 5/8" by 1 1/4".

Signed "Inman 1842" along the right edge, this fine miniature portrait is purportedly of Theodore Roosevelt's grandmother. Painted with watercolors on organic material, it shows the sitter simply attired in a black dress with a lace collar, with the only other adornment being a brooch on that collar.

A later note on the back of the bronze frame states that the sitter is Mrs. Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt (nee Margaret Barnhill). Margaret was the mother of Theodore Roosevelt Sr., the grandmo...

A fine 19th century miniature version of Gilbert Stuart's "Lansdowne" portrait, the iconic 1796 life size portrait of George Washington. The painting here is done in watercolor and gouache on organic wafer. From its origin until the present day many copies of the portrait have been made, but very few on ivory.

This 3 1/8" by 2 1/2" example is in excellent condition, with no issues. The 11" by 9 3/4" gilt over gesso frame is period and might be original.

NOTES: 1. The Lansdowne port...

A delightful c1908 miniature painted by Mildred E. Walker (listed in Who's Who of American Art as having worked in New York.) The young child has a mass of red hair, brown eyes, and is dressed in a blue blouse. The reverse of the gilt metal case identifies the sitter as "Spiky/Aged 3 years/October 1908." Artist signed along the left edge "Mildred E. Walker 1908."

The case size is 3" by 2 3/8". The condition of the painting is excellent, with the case having some wear and oxidation on t...

A charming first half 19th centrury miniature of a young woman. The exceptional thing about this piece is the wonderful high karat gold flip case with guilloche work (engine turning) on the front and back. The painting in this little gem is 1 1/8" in diameter and the case is 1 1/2" in diameter. Excellent condition.

An interesting portrait miniature, by William Baldwin, of a nattily attired gent. The sitter, with a very rakish look about him, is set against a bright blue background, has long thick hair, a soul patch, and is wearing a stickpin with multi-colored jewels. These are motifs, along with the use of a strong blue background, that seem to appear in a number of his minis, as uncommon as they are. In all, a strong and amusing painting, and possibly conjuring up visions of a Mississippi River gambler.

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 example of American folk art, painted by John Brewster Jr. on natural organic material. The sitter is a gentleman with light red hair and blue eyes. He is attired in a black coat, white vest, white ruffled shirt, and white silk cravat. The miniature is in its original case, the reverse with a glazed window containing a plait of hair atop which is a gold initial.

The condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, bowing, paint loss, or restoration. The case is also in excellent condition...

Painted in watercolor on natural wafer, this is a lovely portrait of an attractive young woman. The sitter, with a mass of reddish-brown curls and light brown eyes, is attired in a white dress with a restrained ruffles. She is not wearing any jewelry or other adornments, and is presented simply against a white background. Clearly, Lovett has done this intentionally, along with painting this is a smooth, wash style, rather than the much more common stippling, in order to emphasize her pale beauty...

A superb Walter Robertson miniature portrait painting done in watercolor on natural organic material. The stately blue-eyed gentleman is wearing a powdered wig, blue jacket with gold buttons, salmon vest, and a white stock. The case for this fine piece is 14K gold, and the reverse has, under glass, 4 sections of hair set at right angles to one another.

The condition of both the painting and the case is excellent, with no issues whatsoever. The lighter sections near the edges of the mini...

A nice miniature painting done, in watercolor on natural material, by Ebenezer Mack. The sitter is dressed in a black jacket, and a white vest, shirt, and stock. Housed in its original gold case.

Although all of Mack's works are quite naïvely rendered, this example is even more primitive than most, indicating that it was done quite early in his career, probably in the 1785 time frame. His works are very rare, and he did not sign his paintings. His works have a similarity in some cases to tho...

An extremely fine watercolor and gouache on organic substrate miniature portrait done by Henry Benbridge, painted in his crisp, realistic style. The sitter is attired in a blue coat and a white ruffled shirt and collar, the fabrics of which are carefully and richly depicted, a characteristic of Benbridge's work. The surround to the painting is gold, while the original case, with a pin on the reverse, is gold filled.

Both the painting and the case are in excellent condition. The sight size of t...

A beautifully painted miniature portrait by Elkanah Tisdale. The sitter is a handsome older man dressed in a black coat. The painting measures 2 3/4" by 2 1/4", and is in superb condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, paint loss, or restoration. It is housed in its original gilt metal insert.

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

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Elkanah Tisdale (1771 - 1835) was born in CT and then moved ...

Confidently attributed to Edward Savage, this miniature portrait is painted on organic material. The sitter, who has a strong countenance and blue eyes, is wearing a deep blue coat with gold buttons, a white vest and shirt, and a white cravat.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no flaws, and is housed in a gilt copper case, the reverse of which has a glazed aperture containing woven plaits of hair.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Edward Savage (1761 in Princeton, Massachusetts – 1817 in Pri...

A finely painted miniature portrait, done in watercolor on organic substrate, by Pierre Henri. Done against a blue background, the sitter, a nice looking young gent with blue eyes and hair en queue, is wearing a brown coat with yellow lining.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no bowing, cracks, paint loss, or restoration. Set in a frame with a glazed blue material reverse. The sight size is 1 3/4" by 1 1/4".

Pierre Henri (c 1760 - 1822) was born in Paris and often went by the...

A nice example of a miniature portrait, painted by Nathaniel Hancock on organic material. The sitter is a woman in a blue gown with a lace edged bodice. The gold case has chamfered glass on the front, and the reverse identifies the sitter as "Ridgely 1791."

The condition of this little gem is very fine, with no flaws to speak of. There was some minimal clean-up of a few painting drips in the background. Overall size is 1 3/4" by 1 1/2".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Information about Hancock is rel...

Nicely executed miniature, on natural organic material, of a woman in bonnet and lace; enamelled frame; sight size 2 1/4" by 1 3/4"; slight paint rubbing at 5 o'clock

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 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...

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 ...

An extremely well painted American miniature portrait of a young boy wearing a black coat, white shirt and cravat. He is posed in front of a red drapery. Rather than being done as these miniatures usually were, in watercolor on ivory, this is a far rarer oil on copper example.

The painting is in excellent condition, and has just a slight bit of rubbing at a couple of spots where it meets the period stamped brass frame. Sight size is 2 5/16" by 1 7/8", while the framed size is 2 3/4" by 2...

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 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".

An unusual miniature portrait, done by firing enamel on glass. This combination of subject matter, style, medium, and technique is quite rare for this period and area. The sitter is a quite handsome man in a black coat with a white shirt, vest and tie. He is posed on a red chair in front of a drapery done in hues shading from red to orange. In the center left is a window view of hills, a river and two ships.

The frame is original, and bears the label of F.A. Wenderoth of Phila. Since Wenderot...

A very nicely painted miniature portrait done in watercolor on natural organic material. Signed "D.F. Ames NY" along the lower right. The sitter is a nice looking young gentleman in a blue coat with gilt buttons, a black stock tie, off-white vest and ruffled shirt. Based on the hair style and clothing the painting was done at the beginning of the period when Ames was known to work.

The miniature is without any cracks, chips, bowing, or restoration. It is of goodly size, housed in a 3" by 2 1/...

An uncommon example of an early Abraham Parsell portrait miniature, done in watercolor on organic wafer. The sitter is a strong featured gentleman arrayed in the height of fashion for the period: a black jacket, white collar, cravat, ruffled shirt, and vest. The painting is in a cast foliate case which has on the reverse a glazed aperture with a cast foliate rim and containing a lock of hair.

The condition of the case is excellent, as is that of the painting, which has no chips, cracks, bowing...

A finely executed watercolor on organic wafer bust-length depiction of an attractive sitter wearing a white gown, pearl earrings, and pearl brooch. Accompanied by an old typed and written note identifying the sitter and providing other information: "This beautiful miniature of my Grandmother, / Eliza Bowen Cadwalder, was given to me by my mother, who / treasured it. My Grandfather was George Cadwalder, / California pioneer who was an original Forty-niner and / mined gold in California. / Painted...

A nicely painted miniature portrait on organic wafer. The sitter is a young gentleman with blue eyes, attired in a white shirt, black tie, jacket and vest. The background is a pleasing shaded blue. Set in a gilt metal case with an unglazed aperture on the reverse.

The cased size of the painting is 2 1/2" by 2". The painting is in excellent condition, with no cracks, bowing, or restoration. The glass on the front has a scratch.

Biographical Note: William Lewis was born in Salem MA in 178...

A strong naïve miniature portrait, rendered in oil and watercolor on organic wafer, which is a very unusual combination. The sitter is a fine looking gentleman attired in a white shirt and collar, with a black jacket, vest and tie. He is seated in a formal armchair, holding a green covered book, in front of a red drapery with a red tasseled tieback. A wooded scene with a blue sky is in the background.

The size of the work is large and quite unusual for an American piece on natural material, h...

A charming and well-limned portrait on organic wafer, of a young boy in a red dress, holding a ring. The glazed aperture on the back of the foliate cast case contains a photograph of what might be the sitter.

One side of old tag attached to the mini states "From E. Helena Sherman Estate 1997," while the other side of the tag says "Male child of Chapin family Boston 1840." However, the child in the painting is at least 4 years younger than the one in the photograph. Since photography came into...

A fine naïve folk portrait profile of a gentleman, signed on the reverse by the artist Samuel Rowell. In the same hand is the location of Amesbury, Mass, and the name of the sitter, Moses Henderson.

The painting is on card, done in watercolor with gum arabic highlights, and is in the original gilded wood frame. An additional piece of glass has been put on the back to protect the written information.

The condition of the painting is excellent, with no folds, tears, or staining. There is a v...

A beautifully executed miniature folk art watercolor on paper portrait by J. H. Gillespie, housed in a metal locket with a black card backing.

Condition is excellent with no paint loss, tears, folds, foxing, or restoration. The piece is 2 3/4 inches by 2 3/8 inches.

NOTE: Gillespie was active on the East Coast of North America, Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia around the 1829-1838 time period. He painted miniature portraits and silhouettes very carefully, and with great attention to ...

A fine miniature painting done in watercolor on organic material by Edward Marchant. Depicting an older gent in black tie, vest and jacket, the painting is in excellent condition with no issues. It is displayed in one half of a velvet lined leather travelling case. Sight size is 3 3/4" by 3", and a cased size of 6 5/8" by 5 1/2".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES (From Wikipedia and other sources): Edward Dalton Marchant (1806-1887), also known as Edward D. Marchant and E. D. Marchant, was an American...

A mourning portrait miniature by Elizabeth (Eliza) Goodridge. The work, painted in watercolor on natural wafer, is a depiction of a young boy's head issuing from a cloud beneath. Presented in a period, and probably original, case with a glazed, but empty, aperture on the reverse.

The condition is excellent, with no flaws, as is that of the case. The overall size is 2 1/2" by 2 1/16".

NOTES: 1. Eliza Goodridge (1798-1882) was born in Templeton, MA, and spent her younger years there and in the...

A wonderful watercolor on natural wafer, painted by Robert Field. The sitter, a very pretty young woman with brown hair and eyes, is posed in front of a red drapery, and is wearing a black jacket over a white dress with a neck ruffle. The ebonized frame appears to be original, as is the cover glass which has a black and eglomise border.

The condition of this rare gem is excellent, with no cracks, chips, paint loss, or bowing. Except for a discolored area in the top right, the frame is also in ...

A spectacular Nathaniel Rogers painting done in watercolor on organic wafer. I very rarely, if ever, describe or refer to an item as "the best", or the "finest example ever". However, there is no question that this painting represents Rogers at the peak of his ability, which indeed is quite high. Further, the vast majority of his paintings are only bust length, and do not depict the hands of the sitter, not any additional objects. Here we have the subject sitting with an arm draped over a chair,...

A fine portrait on natural material of a gentleman in an early 19th century officer's uniform. Within the locket is the remnant of the backing paper of the miniature, which was incorrectly and poorly removed. A portion of the name "Miller" can be seen. Prior to this removal, a previous owner had written down on a piece of paper what had been on the backing paper. This is shown in the third photo and gives a portion of the sitter's name as John L. Sc?h???, the name of the artist (Miller) and the ...

A charming miniature portrait painted in watercolors on wafer. The sitter, with curly auburn hair and blue eyes, is simply attired in an off the shoulder sky blue gown, and is depicted in front of a cloud filled blue sky. Such a pose is often used to indicate that the work is a mourning piece. According to family history, the sitter is Lucy Ann Bainbridge, the daughter of Commodore William Bainbridge.

The miniature, in what might be the original case, which has a glazed aperture on the reverse...

A nicely executed portrait miniature, done in watercolor and gouache on organic wafer. The sitter is a fine looking gentleman with blue eyes and brown hair, attired in a black jacket, vest, and stock.

The painting was descended in the family, and the sitter has been identified as John Amory Lowell (1798 - 1881). He was the grandson of John Lowell (1743 - 1802), an American lawyer, selectman, jurist, delegate to the Congress of the Confederation, and federal judge. Known within his family as â...

A strikingly limned portrait miniature painted in watercolor on natural substrate. Because of the framing, the artistic technique used, and the pose, there are very strong indications that this is a China Trade piece. The sitter is clad in a deep navy jacket with a striped vest, and a masonic pin adorning his shirt.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no issues. The period and probably original gilt metal frame has wear to the green velvet border between the inner ands outer metal su...

A charming portrait miniature painted by John Carlin on organic material. The blue-eyed, brown-haired baby is dressed, in the custom of the time, in a white gown and cap.

The portrait is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, or restoration. The gold case is also in fine condition. Sight size of this gem is 1 3/8" by 1 1/8".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: John Carlin (1813 - 1891) was born in Philadelphia. He was a deaf mute, and one of sixteen original students, he graduated in 182...

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...

A fine portrait miniature painted by William Lewis. The sitter is an attractive gentleman in a black coat, white vest, stock, and shirt, the latter highlighted with a stick pin containing three rubies. It should be noted that the technique and facial structure of this painting is at a higher level than Lewis' works display (see Note 2 below).

Excellent condition with no issues. Sight size is 2 3/8" by 1 7/8", and the later frame is 2 5/8" by 2 1/4".

BIOPGRAPHICAL NOTES: 1. William Lew...

A charming example of Abraham Parsell's ability to capture the essential characteristic of a sitter and portray them in a wonderful naïve manner. In the miniature portrait presented here we have a young man with striking blue eyes and a mound of curly hair. He is attired in a dark brown jacket, black vest, and white tie and shirt.

The condition of the painting is excellent, with no cracks, chips, bowing, fading, etc. There are some scattered black spots on the lower part of the jacket, quite ...

A watercolor on organic wafer portrait, done by Matthew Jouett, of a young woman wearing a pale blue Empire style dress with a lace trimmed bodice and a blue hair band trailing from her head. Presented in a case with N. Grayson engraved in the interior.

The condition of the painting and the case is excellent, with no issues. Overall size is 2 7/8" by 2 3/8".

NOTES: 1. Although Jouett produced a large body of full portraits during his lifetime, signed or documented miniatures by Jouett are q...

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 superbly limned portrait by Daniel Dickinson, done in watercolor on natural material. The sitter is a young man of the Brown family of Philadelphia. This painting was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, "Exhibition of Miniatures", April 22 - May 6, 1893, and was descended through the Brown family..

The condition of the miniature is superb, with no issues of any kind. The gold bezel is original, but the frame is a later Wiebold Studio reproduction, with both of these also bein...

A strongly limned portrait miniature, on natural material, done by Augustus Fuller. The subject is a young lady with dotted white organza collar and fichu, a tall tortoiseshell comb, and ruby and diamond earrings.

Fuller did sign a number of his miniatures, but apparently always on the back. Since this example is presented in its never opened original frame, it is possible that it is a signed piece. Regardless, because of the technique and composition, there is no question that this was done ...

A nicely executed American miniature painting, on natural organic material, of a good-looking young gentleman. Although unsigned, there is no question that this work was done by Newcombe. Presented in a period stamped brass frame.

Excellent condition with no issues at all. Sight size is 2" by 1 1/2", and the framed size is 3 3/4" by 3 1/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: George W. Newcombe (1799-1845) was born in England and was working in NYC by 1829. He was an Associate at the National Academy and e...

A finely rendered miniature portrait of a boy, done in watercolor on natural wafer. The sitter is wearing a black jacket, vest, and bowtie, with a white shirt with a gold stud.

The condition of the painting is excellent, with no issues. The cast foliate case is also in fine condition, engraved on the reverse with the initials "T.W." and a cutting of hair in the glazed aperture.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: William Harrison Scarborough (1812-1871) was born in Tennessee to parents whose family origins ...

A charming miniature portrait, on natural wafer, of an attractive young woman decked out in the latest hairdo and height of fashion (well, for the time when the portrait was done). An excellent example of naïve portraiture.

The painting is in wonderful condition, with no issues. The period gilt wood frame has some expected and fairly unobtrusive wear but in person looks much better than it appears in the photo. Sight size of the painting is 3" by 2 1/2", with a framed size of 4 5/8" by 4 1/8...

A superb portrait miniature, painted by Nathaniel Rogers in watercolor on natural material. A note inside the case identifies the sitter as Charles B. Meek. Research has found that he lived in Canandaigua, Ontario, NY. Mr. Meek, a very handsome young gentleman, is posed sitting on a red chair, wearing a black jacket, with white waistcoat, shirt, and stock. The fine skill of Rogers is evident in the detailed luminosity of the face, the shadowing in the clothing, and the overall visual impact of t...