Catalog: Fine Art: Paintings: Miniatures (328)

A beautiful watercolor on organic material attributed to the hand of William Grimaldi. The subject of this work of art is an older gentleman wearing a blue coat, yellow vest, and ruffled stock, and shown against a beclouded sky background. Housed in a gold filled case.

The condition of the miniature and its case is excellent, with no problems. The overall size is 3" by 2 3/8"...

A beautiful French portrait miniature signed "Mie Bost" center right by Mélanie Bost. The sitter is a young girl in a white lace dress with blue ribbons at the shoulders, her hair parted down the center. Presented in a gold frame with a red glass over guilloche work surround, with small pearls to the exterior border. The reverse with a mother-of-pearl back and a gilt metal pin...

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 fine portrait painted by Thomas E. Barratt using watercolor on organic substrate. (In person this work displays much better than the photographs show.)

Aside from the quality and relative rarity of the painting, what makes this offering truly special is the casework. The case is gold and gold on silver and hinges so that the miniature is enclosed on both sides by the metal. The front and back are done with different guilloche (engine turned)designs...

A beautifully painted portrait of a well-dressed gentleman. As superb as the painting is, it is matched by the reverse of the miniature, which has interwoven plaits of hair and an organic plaque decorated with the initials "EW" on a monument which is topped with a quiver and arrow.

The photos do not even begin to do justice to this superb piece, which has fine limning, vibrant colors, and no damage at all. The color differences and light lines on the front and back are due to reflections...

An Alfred T. Agate watercolor on natural substrate of a nicely featured gentleman. The sitter is attired in a black jacket with black stock and a white vest and shirt. Housed in a cast foliate case with a ringlet of hair in the glazed compartment verso.

Condition of the painting and the case is excellent, with no flaws to speak of. Sight size is 2 1/4" by 1 3/4", and the case size is 2 1/2" by 2 1/8".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES:

Alfred Agate (1812-1846, born in Sparta, N.Y...

A miniature portrait, done in watercolor on organic wafer, and signed on the reverse: "Painted by/ T. Barratt/ 136 Chestnut/ Phila/ 1838". The sitter is a young gentleman with sideburns, wearing a black jacket and cravat. Presented in a gilt metal foliate case with an empty glazed rear aperture.

The painting has no chips, cracks, bowing, mold, paint loss, etc., with the case also being in fine condition. The overall size is 2 3/4" by 2 3/8".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Thomas E...

A fine watercolor on natural wafer, signed lower left by Hyacinthe Mercier and dated 1813. The sitter is an attractive young woman posed in front of a column with a landscape featuring a church in the background. Presented in the original frame.

No condition issues, with a diameter of 2 3/4" and a framed size of 5 1/2" by 5 1/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Mlle Hyacinth Mercier worked as a miniaturist in Paris, living at 27 rue Neuve Saint Rochet. She exhibited at the Salon in 1808 and 1810...

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...

A miniature painting displaying the work of Walter Stephens Lethbridge at its finest. The sitter, according to family records of the former owners, is H.B. Lott, a Member of Parliament from Honiton, Devon. Lott, a handsome blue-eyed curly-haired gentleman, is posed against a clouded blue background, and is wearing a bluish gray jacket with gold buttons, a gold weskit, and a white ruffled shirt with a white stock.

The reverse of the gold case deserves special mention, having a tailed circlet of...

A well painted miniature portrait done by Charles Robertson. The subject is a bewigged blue-eyed gentleman of striking visage, posed in a blue and gold jacket. The miniature is presented in a silver case with silver scrollwork. The reverse of the case has the impressed mark "L.V".

The condition of the painting and the case is excellent. Sight size is 1 1/2" by 1 1/4", with an overall case size of 2 1/4" by 1 1/2".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Charles Robertson (c1760-1821)was born in Dublin and ...

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 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 fine miniature of a handsome gent with strawberry blond hair, painted by Henry Jacob Burch. Adding to the desirability of this example is the Burch trade card that was fitted to the back of the painting, rarely seen in his works.

Excellent condition, with an overall size of 2 3/4" by 2 1/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Henry Jacob Burch was born in London in 1763. He entered the Royal Academy Schools at the age of 16, and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1787 to 1834. Examples of his wor...

A pair of watercolor on natural wafer paintings of a nice looking couple, set against a clouded blue background, a motif often used by the artist. Each miniature is signed, in the lower right, with the conjoined initials HB, for Henry Jacob Burch. The paintings are set in period ebonized wood frames.

Condition of the paintings and frames is excellent. Sight size of each is 2 3/4" by 2 3/16", and the framed size is 5 1/8" by 4 3/8".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Henry Jacob Burch was born in London in 1...

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 watercolor on natural wafer, painted by John Cox Dillman Engleheart. The sitter is a handsome gentleman dressed in a black jacket, white shirt, and gray tie. The glazing on the fron of the case has an eglomise border, with the glazed reverse of the case having opalescent glass on top of which is hairwork fastened with a pearl band and gold threads.

The condition of the painting is excellent, as is that of the case. The hairwork on the reverse has some disturbances. Sight size is 2" by 1 5/8...

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 charming miniature portrait of two beautiful children, painted on natural material by William Egley. Housed in what is probably the original bronze frame.

Both the painting and the frame are in excellent condition, with no issues. The painting is 1 3/4" in diameter, and the frame is 2 7/8".

Biographical Note: William Egley (1798–1870), was born in Doncaster, England, and moved shortly after to Nottingham. Originally working in a publishing house and bookshop, he had developed an interes...

A fine miniature portrait painted on natural wafer by Alexander Gallaway. The sitter is a distinguished gentleman with a white wig, and attired in a tan jacket, cream vest, and white shirt. Framed in a 15 karat gold case with half moon and dot work on the border of the reverse side.

The condition of the case and painting is excellent, with no flaws. (The white area at the right of the painting is due to light reflection in the photo.) The case size is 1 1/2" by 1 1/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: ...

A beautifully painted miniature by Enrichetta Koelman, nee Narducci. Done in watercolor on organic material, it depicts a nice looking gentleman attired in a brown coat and black tie. It is carefully signed along the left edge "1850 Enrichetta Koelman f(ecit)". The painting is mounted in a 14k or 18k gold surround with a wide filigreed depth at the sides, a pin on the reverse, and a mother-of-pearl backing.

The condition is excellent, with no flaws. The size is 2" by 1 1/2" The depth is 1/8"....

A miniature portrait by M.E. Mynerts (also referenced as W.E. Mynerts). Glazed and housed in a cast foliate case measuring 2 3/4" by 2 3/8", with an unglazed aperture on the reverse containing a braid of hair. The overall condition of the painting is excellent, with no cracks, chips, bowing, or restoration. The case is also in excellent condition.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Very little is known about Mynerts, and his miniatures are quite rare, with only one signed example found. However, his style...

A superbly painted miniature portrait by the important American miniaturist Anson Dickinson, originally in a heavy wooden frame that was damaged, but now housed under glass in one half of a dag case. The reverse of the original frame has quite a bit of information on it, indicating that the sitter is Ambrose Dickinson, one of Anson's nine siblings. (It might be appropriate at this point to briefly pause in sympathy for Anson's mom, even though she was an underachiever compared to the wife of Th...

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 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". The condition of the paintings and case is excellent, with no apologies needed.

NOTE: The following are excerp...

A very finely drawn miniature of an extremely handsome man, done en grisaille on organic material by H.M.S. Stuart.

The sitter is Sir Dugald Stuart, 2nd Baronet of Ardmaleish and Bute and the painting is signed, dated and inscribed on the reverse: "From a drawing on/Vellum of Sir Dugald/Stuart, father of the first Earl of Bute;/in the possession of/the Marquess of Bute/at Mount Stuart/by H M. S. Stuart/Decbr 1841".

Presented in a rectangular ebonized frame, both the painting and ...

An unusual double sided miniature by Frederick Buck. One side is painted using watercolors on ivory, and shows a young man with an upswept hair style, dressed in the usual black coat and white stock of the period. The reverse of the case shows an older man in profile, also in a black coat and white stock, but limned in watercolor on card. The paintings were probably done at somewhat different times, and then framed together.

The condition of the full face painting is excellent, with no issues...

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, 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 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 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. The case has a raised...

This is a rather large portrait miniature done in body color and watercolor on ivory. The signature on the lower right is "P(or T)ouktuz Sta??er". The signature and attire indicate the painting was probably done by an Eastern European or Russian artist. The subject of this 19th century work is an attractive young girl from a wealthy family, based on the expensive clothing (the fur coat, gloves, hat, and boots).

The condition of the painting is excellent, with some scattered black speck...

This charming miniature, done in watercolor on natural wafer, shows a little girl who obviously just spent time working diligently picking enough berries to fill her basket. Judging by her slight smile, she either had fun doing that, or is anticipating enjoying the (literal) fruits of her labors.

Note how the artist, as naive as was his style, took care to magnify the use of certain features by highlighting them in various areas, such as using the blue background and the blue bow to go w...

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 nice naïve portrait of a woman, painted in watercolors on organic wafer. The sitter is simply presented in a black dress with lace edging at the bodice. An interesting twist is the fragment of a business card in the back of the case. It says "Painter ***wich City CT" (Norwich City). The artist attribution has been made based on a signed example provided by Brad Crisler, shown in photos 3 and 4, and is unmistakable based on technique and the location of Norwich City.

The condition of the pai...

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 fine miniature portrait of a pretty young child, done in watercolors on organic material by William Egley. The case has hallmarks for 9K London gold and a maker's mark for G.S. Both the case and the painting are in excellent condition with no problems. The size is 1 5/16" by 1 1/16".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: William Egley (1798–1870), was born in Doncaster, England, and moved shortly after to Nottingham. Originally working in a publishing house and bookshop, he had developed an interest in pai...

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 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 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 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 fine miniature portrait on natural wafer, done en grisaille in watercolor and ink against a blue background. The sitter, an older woman wearing a lace cap and fichu, is beautifully limned in profile, an uncommon approach. Housed in a gold plated metal frame with fabric on the reverse.

There are no condition problems with the painting, which measures 2 1/2" in diameter.

PROVENANCE: The well-known Dr. Leo Catzenstein Collection, and thence to his descendants.

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 nicely executed watercolor, on natural material, of a gent in a black coat with white stock and ruffled shirt. Presented in the original gilt metal case with hair work under glazing on the reverse.

The overall condition is fine, with some tiny dust motes under the glass. The white areas circling the top half are reflections from the chamfered cover glass. Overall frame size is 2 1/4" by 2".

A miniature painting done in watercolors on natural material, signed "C. Greiner along the left center. The sitter is a gentleman dressed in the clothing and hair style popular in the 1841 to 1844 period. Presented in a cast foliate case, the reverse being engine turned with a glazed aperture containing a braid of hair and engraved with the initials JLD.

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

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Christopher (or...

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 lovely and ethereal miniature of a blond-haired, blue-eyed beautiful young girl. Signed center left "T.R. Manley 1900", it is in its original gilt sterling case with a beaded edge, with the reverse appearing to be evenly tarnished. Excellent condition with no problems, and measuring 3 1/4" by 2 3/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE : Thomas Rathbone Manley (1853 - 1938), later referred to as "The Dean of the Montclair (NJ) Artists". Originally studying law, he realized his love was painting and enr...

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 well painted portrait miniature, on organic wafer, of a blue eyed gentleman wearing a deep blue coat, white ascot, shirt, and vest. Presented in a brass frame.

The condition is excellent, with no issues to speak of. The reddish area on the edge from 9:00 to 12:00 is due to light reflection. The painting appears much better in person than the photo shows. Framed size is 2 1/2" by 2".

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 charming portrait miniature, done in watercolors on natural wafer, of a young woman in a low-cut blue dress with sleeves decorated with pearl buttons, and a sheer white fichu fastened with a black pin. Her black hair is covered by an elaborate white lace bonnet and she is wearing large gold earrings and a gold chain tucked into her sash. Presented in an ebonized frame.

The miniature is signed "R.C. Woolnough" and dated July 1816 on the backing paper. This is very interesting as there is ext...

A superb miniature portrait, done en grisaille on organic substrate, by Samuel Andrews. The sitter is an attractive woman with an elaborate wig and hair style, and wearing a cap and gold earrings. The painting is wonderfully executed, and with such skill that there is a three dimensional effect. The photos do not at all due it justice.

The painting is beautifully presented, surrounded by a gilt metal bezel, outside of which is a plait of hair, the whole in a red leather travel case. The condi...

A beautiful portrait miniature, done in watercolor on natural wafer. The sitter is a lovely young woman wearing a large and striking turban and a lace fichu over a light apricot dress. A brooch below her bodice echoes the circular motif on the turban.

Housed in its original bronze case with a diameter of 3 1/4". Both the case and the painting are in excellent condition. A striking addition to any7 collection.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Guido Reni was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, althou...

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 strong watercolor on organic wafer portrait of a British staff officer. With his mutton-chop whiskers, he is dressed in the well-known red jacket, and sports gold epaulettes. The painting is housed in a wonderful gilt bronze brooch with a guilloche silver back, which displays a nicely tied curl of hair under a glazed aperture.

Sight size is 1 1/2" by 1 1/4", with an overall size of 1 3/4" by 1 1/2". The condition of the painting and the case is excellent, with no issues at all. The white fle...

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 nicely painted portrait of a woman in white, including her lace edged gown, lace edged scarf, and turban. The artist clearly used a monochromatic palette to convey a sense of simplicity and serenity in the sitter, identified on the reverse as a Mrs. Hobbs, or Hobby.

Painted with watercolors on organic wafer, the miniature is housed iin a later case which is gold over silver (vermeil), and has hallmarks indicating it is sterling silver made in London with the maker's mark of JHP. Fine condi...

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 wonderfully detailed portrait miniature, on organic material, of a woman of substantial means, bearing, and physique. She is posed by a console table, and elegantly attired and bedecked with jewelry and an elaborate dress.

The portrait is signed on the lower right by Reinhold Krauss, a known artist listed in Thieme-Becker's "Artists of the World". Excellent condition with no issues.

Housed in a period wooden frame, the sight size is 4" by 2 7/8" and the framed size is 7 1/2" by 5 ...

A watercolor on organic natural wafer of a somewhat older woman wearing a blue jacket with fur edging, a pearl choker, and a rust colored cap with lace. The unusual characteristics of the piece are the hand decorated paper surround and that the painting is in a frame that slides into a close fitting leather case.

The condition of the painting is excellent, with no issues, while the case has exterior wear but is structurally sound. Sight size is 2: by 1 5/8", and the case is 2 7/8" by 2 1/8"