Catalog: Fine Art: Paintings (339)

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...

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...

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...

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...

Painted by Samuel Shelley, this is a beautifully limned portrait miniature of a British officer. The epaulette being on the left shoulder, instead of on the more usual right, indicates that the sitter was in a cavalry regiment of the British army. That, taken with other characteristics of the uniform show him to be with the heavy dragoons...

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...

A very fine bust-length depiction done in watercolor on organic wafer. The sitter, a nice looking young gentleman, is attired in a blue waistcoat, a tan and red pin-striped vest, and a white cravat. The painting is signed "Peat" at the left edge, and an old inscribed label attached verso identifies sitter as "Lord Halifax II"...

A beautiful portrait, by Gervase Spencer, of a striking young woman, painted in enamels on copper. Signed and dated "GS 1759" on the lower right. The subject of the painting, with brown hair and blue eyes, is clearly wealthy, attired in a blue gown with lace trim, and accessorized with pearl earrings, a pearl encrusted hair barrette, a pearl choker, and a long pearl necklace centered by a pearl, onyx and gold brooch...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. Even when compared to the vast majority of Sma...

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 ...

A wonderful miniature portrait, on natural material, painted and signed lower left, by Peter Lens. The sitter, a young woman in a yellow gown and white fichu, is shown against a startling blue background.

The condition of the miniature is excellent with no problems or flaws. The white area at the lower edge is light reflection. The size of the pendant gilt metal case is 1 7/8" by 1 1/2".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Peter Paul Lens (1714? - 1750?) was apprenticed in 1729 to his father, Bernard Lens...

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".