Samuel Rowell Portrait of a Gentleman c1840
Directory: Antiques: Decorative Art: Folk Art: Pre 1837 VR: Item # 1359369
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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 very small spot on the subject's cheek, which actually might have been intentionally done by the artist. The condition of the frame is also good, with some normal wear to the edges. Sight size is 3" by 2", and the framed size is 5 1/8" by 4 1/4".
NOTES: 1. Works by Samuel Rowell are quite rare, and this painting is the only fully signed example I have found.
2. Rowell (1815 - 1890) originally came from Amesbury, Mass, and was a folk portrait painter. In the 1838-1839 period he studied under John Reubens Smith and Joseph Kyle in Philadelphia. Returning to Amesbury, he married Lydia Jones Neal in 1841. Staying in Amesbury until at least 1843, he reportedly was a commercial artist in Portsmouth about 1849 and who from 1861 to 1870, after losing the first two fingers of his right hand, was a master painter (not an artist) at the Portsmouth Navy Yards. He then returned again to Amesbury and lived out his life running the family business, S. Rowell and Sons carriage manufacturers.
