Catalog: Fine Art: Paintings (339)

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...

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...

A superb double silhouette on natural organbic material, in a cast foliate locket, by John Field. One side is of a woman, the other of a man, wearing spectacles (highly unusual) and both are signed "John Field 111 Strand" along the lower edge of the bust line. These paintings display the finely executed bronzed work that was a hallmark of Field's.

The sight size is 1 1/2" by 1 1/4"...

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...

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...

A watercolor on organic wafer, painted by John Smart, and initialed lower left, along with the date of 1797. The sitter is a young woman with brown curls and eyes. She is attired in a green and blue feathered cap, a white gown with lace on the collar, and a green sash.

The brushwork is impeccable, the texture and blush of the skin, the details of the eyes, the clarity of each hair, and the overall luminescence of this painting are stunning...

A fine miniature painting of a handsome young man attired in a dark blue jacket with black velvet lapels, a white stock and gray vest. Signed lower right "J.T." for John Turmeau. The miniature is in a gilt metal case, the elaborate reverse of which has a lock of hair with a faux pearl circlet and a cobalt glass shield, the whole displayed on a worked foil background, all under glass.

The condition of the miniature is quite good, with some craquelure showing on the jacket...

A fine John Wesley Jarvis portrait miniature of a woman wearing a white mob cap and a modest white dress with lace collar and bow, the sitter presented against a stippled blue background. Housed in a period replacement red leather travel case with a somewhat illegible and later label on the back stating "Miniature of...Caldwell (Rachel Bishop?)...of...Pauses Webb."

The painting, with no bowing, cracks, or fading, is in very good condition. The sight size is 2 3/4" by 2 3/8"...

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...

An extremely fine John Wood Dodge miniature portrait, done in watercolor on natural wafer. The sitter is a very handsome hazel-eyed young gentleman dressed in a white shirt and collar, with a black coat and osbaldeston cravat. The backing paper of the miniature is signed by Dodge as follows: "Painted by John W...

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...

Painted by Louis Francois Aubry with watercolor and gouache on organic wafer, this portrait miniature combines the superb skills of the artist with the radiant beauty of a young woman. The sitter, with hazel eyes and curly black hair, is wearing a deep navy velvet jacket over a white dress with a fancy lace ruffled collar. Completing her ensemble is a long double looped gold chain. Note the shadow, on the white dress, of the bottom loop of the chain, exemplifying the care and evolved technique t...

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 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 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 fine miniature portrait painting, strongly attributed to Samuel Broadbent. The sitter is reputedly Michael Butler, founder of the Union News Company. The attribution is based on the heavy coloring used in the sitter's face, the positioning in the painting of the sitter, the background technique, and the similarity to the example in the Manney collection.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no cracks, bowing, or restoration. It is housed in what appears to be the original locket fram...

A superb enamel on copper portrait miniature by Jean Andre Rouquet. The sitter, dressed in an embroidered red jacket, ia a royal personage, evidenced by the ermine trimmed robe or cloak on his lap.

The condition of the miniature is excellent, with bright colors, no cracks, and no restoration. The duller areas along the edges are due to the way the light reflects off the curved edges. The early 19th century ormolu frame also is in fine condition. Sight size of the painting is 2 1/4" by 1 7/8", ...

A striking portrait, on natural material, of a French colonel, purportedly Charles Ferdement, Baron de St. Clair. The colors are vivid, and the strength of the sitter is well captured by the artist. The condition is excellent, and the diameter is 2 3/4".

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 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 finely painted portrait miniature of a young girl, presented in its original gilded case, the reverse with woven plaits of hair under glass. The sitter, who has a slight smile playing on her lips, has blue eyes and brownish-blonde hair, and is simply dressed in a white top.

The painting and the case are both in excellent condition with no issues at all. The case size is 1 5/8" by 1 3/8".

A portrait miniature done by Moses B. Russell and I wish I could say more about this painting or the sitter, but the original backing paper, where Russell signed and often threatened people (incorrectly) not to remove the paper, has been removed. However, the painting was clearly done by Russell and closely mirrors one in the Metropolitan Museum. Excellent condition (any apparent problems in the photo are due to reflections) and presented in a 2 3/4" by 2 1/4" gilt metal case with a lock of hair...

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.

Adding to the importance of this piece is the velvet lined gutta percha case, which h...

A watercolor on natural material done by Nathaniel Plimer. The sitter is a somewhat older woman, with a pensive and somewhat sad mien about her. Set against a background with gradations of blue, she is simply dressed in a white gown and bonnet, accented with a pendant medallion on a black ribbon, and a gray belt.

The painting and the original bronze frame are in excellent condition with no flaws or restoration. Sight size of the miniature is 2 3/4" by 2 1/4", with an overall size of 3 3/4" by ...

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. The case is 3 1/4" by 2 3/4".

This miniature was sold...

A wonderful English watercolor miniature on natural wafer, painted by Ozias Humphry. The gentleman depicted is clearly of the upper class, dressed in a dusty rose colored jacket with a lace collar, a style worn in England specifically in the 1765 to 1770 period. The case, which is probably original and of gold, comes with a 28" long gold chain attached through the bale, and is also most likely to be original.

The condition of the painting is excellent, with no flaws to speak of, and no restora...

A fine painting of a youth, signed and dated "P. Jean 1789" on the right side. The sitter is dressed in a red jacket with a white ruff. The reverse of the gold case has interwoven plaits of hair under glass.

There are no condition issues with the painting or the case. The discoloration along the top of the painting is light reflection. The size is 2" by 1 1/2".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Philippe Jean (1755-1802)was born in Saint Ouen, Jersey, the son of Nicholas Jean and Marie Grandin. He was at fi...

A fine miniature portrait by Augustus Fuller, done on natural material. The sitter is an attractive hazel-eyed woman sporting sausage curls and wearing a white lace bonnet, a white lace fichu with a centered brooch, and a black dress. Fuller took pains in this painting to the extent of showing details of the dress design with faint white highlights, shown in the second photo.

The condition of the painting is excellent, and viewed in person the miniature is far better than the photo shows. The...

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 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. The sight size is 2" by 1 1/2" and the gold case is 2 3/16" by 1 3/4"....

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...

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 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 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 ...

A charming and beautifully rendered watercolor portrait, of a very attractive young woman, painted by Emanuel Reynolds. The sitter is dressed in the height of fashion for the period, around 1837, with a spangled diaphanous blue shawl over a low cut, pleated, black dress highlighted with a central blue brooch. Long blue and purple earrings, and a fine gold chain woven through her elaborate hairdo complete the picture of a wealthy member of the elite society.

What makes this piece truly spe...

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...