Catalog (53)

A wonderful American folk art portrait of a Methodist minister painted by Ammi Phillips (1788–1865). The distinguished gentleman is sitting at a table, with his hand holding a pair of spectacles and resting on a Methodist hymnal. The finely rendered depiction of the large dominating figure with dark clothing emphasizes the gravitas of the sitter.

The painting is 32 5/8 inches by 27 1/4 inches sight size, and 37 7/8 inches by 32 3/4 inches framed size. The painting is in overall excellent co...

This painting epitomizes all the characteristics one looks for in a folk art portrait, including the whimsy that is so delightful. Note the vibrant colors, unusual treatment of anatomical features (the shortened arm, for example), and embellishments such as the chair, bonnet, shawl, book, and sheet music. All of these add up to a wonderful example for any collector of American folk art, or just as a superb display piece.

The painting is oil on artist's board, and is in exceptional condition,...

A pair of late 18th or early 19th century portraits, one showing a well dressed gentleman seated at a secretary bookcase, the other of his wife, seated and holding a flower. Painted in oils on canvas, the detailing, especially in the man, is stunning. He is wearing a blue coat, an elaborately ruffled shirt, and a silk waistcoat. The edging and every button on the jacket and waistcoat are beautifully rendered in multiple colors. The books in the case also have a great amount of attention to their...

A superb oil on canvas American folk art painting depicting a man orating about temperance. He is standing beneath trees which are arching to almost form a bower over him. A courting couple is on either side of him, with a church in the background. The symbolism of the couples probably reflects the belief that marital and family relations improve in temperance households. Note also that the orator is holding a bottle in his left hand, probably just after having poured the contents on the ground...

A wonderful idyllic scene of a girl gathering flowers in a hat. Near her is a lake with cows watering, while in the immediate background is another group of cows and a young girl. The far background has trees and a house. The charming naïve style, and the inclusion so many items of interest combine to make this work an exceptional piece.

Often even simple watercolors of this age have substantial condition issues, ranging from tears, stain, folds, di89scolrations, etc. The example offered here...

A wonderful example of a pastel painting on sandpaper. The scene shows a man in 18th century garb, holding a fawn that his daughter is feeding. They stand on a dirt path lined with a wooden fence. Other deer are in the foreground and near the lake that occupies the mid-ground of this work. In the immediate background is a fantasy type building on a hill, with mountains in the background. Above all this is is the sky at dusk, rendered in a beautiful array of colors.

As with other types of 19th...

An extremely fine pair of American folk art mourning pictures. The paintings are watercolor and gouache (to highlight skin areas) on heavy stock or card. The oval format work shows a sad woman holding a hat with a dog at her feet. In the background are what appear to be a number of monuments. The round format shows two young girls with a dove in a cage and two others they have just set free. The doves symbolically represent the release of the spirit or soul. The atmosphere that the artist impart...

A charming watercolor on paper painting depicting a young woman holding a note or book in her lap while her pet dog begs for attention. The dress, feathered hat, and hairdo, as well as the construction style of the house show this to be a woman of means, as well as placing this work in the 1800-1803 time period. This is likely a schoolgirl painting, done in freestyle rather than the more common stenciling. Presented in a period giltwood frame.

There are no folds or creases in this example. The...

A striking and nicely painted oil on canvas pair of American portraits. The sitters (by family repute) are Hendrick Henry Lasher (1788 - 1843) and Hannah Sharp (1793 - 1851) of New York.

Painted in a straightforward, stark style, the artist has deftly used dark tones for the clothing the background, focusing the light and the viewer's attention on the faces.

Condition is very good, with no holes or large amounts of restoration. The paintings having been relined and the period frames touched ...

A beautiful and striking pair of American folk art pastel still life paintings. The fruit is laid out on a green table, and wonderfully executed. The black background provides superb contrast and highlights the radiance of the apples, pears, grapes, peaches, etc.

The gilded over gesso frames are period and probably original. Sight size of each is 16 3/4" by 12 7/8", while the framed size is 21 1/4" by 17 3/4". The paintings have been laid down on stiffer paper and are not smeared, touched up, ...

A watercolor on paper of a little girl, holding a basket and flowers, in front of a group of buildings. Found in Lancaster, PA, and supposedly a painting of structures that still exist. Dated february, 1845.

Some minor creasing and spotting, which are much less obtrusive in person than in the photos.

This is a superbly rendered watercolor on paper attributed to Henry Walton. The name of the sitter, John Andrew Jenny, is written in pencil at the top of the painting, in penmanship not unlike Walton's.

Mr. Jenny is a nice-looking young man wearing a black coat, with highlights in gum arabic. The style of the coat and the cravat place this portrait in the 1841-1844 time period. This is consistent with Walton's development as an artist, when he began to paint the faces of his subjects with mod...

A charming and beautifully painted landscape done by George W. Drew (signed lower right) in the early 20th century. The scene depicts a country path following beside a river and wending around a wooden house. Adding to this idyllic scene are ducklings on the path and a woman in front of one of the cherry trees surrounding the house, The wonderful luminosity that Drew is well-known for is apparent in this work.

The painting is 36" by 24", and the fine period frame is 43" by 31". Both the paint...

A wonderful double sided smalt trade sign for D.M. Woodward, Doctor of Chiropractic. The gilded letters and the black smalt background are virtually intact and vibrant. The frame is original, and measures 28 3/4 inches by 14 inches by 2 inches deep. There is a small sliver out of the frame at one upper edge, and a small gap in the frame at the corner. Aside from these very minor flaws, the piece is in excellent condition.

A beautifully executed American watercolor on paper portrait painting of a woman. The sitter has auburn curls and is dressed in an Empire style dress with wide lace collar, a paisley bordered shawl, white turban, and matching pearl and gem brooch and earrings. All the details are very finely limned.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no creases, tears, fading, or restoration. Sight size is 8" by 6 1/4", and the gilt molded frame size is 10" by 8 1/4".

A wonderful portrait of an attractive young woman, done in watercolor on organic wafer. The blue-eyed, red-haired sitter is in a black gown with a gauzy white top, highlighted by a large pink bow at her bodice. The artist carefully chose the ground color and the bow to complement the subject's coloring. The frame is period and probably original, with an eglomise glass cover to the painting.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no issues. The eglomise glass and the frame have wear but a...

A charming metal artist's trade sign mounted under glass in a fine period wood frame. Obviously done to showcase his skill, it shows a palette with brushes resting in the thumb hole along with flowers, additional flowers and a bird outside of the palette.

The sign and the frame with its original backboard are in excellent condition. Sight size 13 1/2" by 9 1/2", and a framed size of 17" by 12 1/2".

A fine set of 4 watercolor schoolgirl paintings executed with a very high degree of artistry, probably originally done as bookplates. They have been mounted in pairs in attractive figured maple frames. The first frame has the paintings shown in the 2nd and 3rd photos and the 2nd frame has the paintings shown in the 4th and 5th photos.

The paintings and frames are in excellent condition, with the first frame, shown in the top left of the first photo, measuring 12 5/8" by 10 3/4". The second fr...