Walter Robertson Miniature Portrait of a Gentleman c1794
Directory: Fine Art: Paintings: Miniatures: Pre 1800: Item # 1360709
Please refer to our stock # a1579 when inquiring.
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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. The lighter sections near the edges of the miniature are light reflections, and not paint loss. The sight size is 2 3/8" by 2" and the overall size is 2 9/16" by 2 1/8". truly a wonderful example of an important artist.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Walter Robertson (1750-1801) began his career as a miniaturist in 1768. He exhibited at the Society of Artists in Dublin from 1769 to 1775 and in 1777, and was considered Dublin's leading miniature painter. From 1784 to 1792 he lived in London, attempting to obtain commissions. Basically bankrupt, he returned to Dublin in 1792. In 1793 he befriended Gilbert Stuart and they voyaged together to New York, executing paintings of the ship's owner as partial payment for their passage. In New York, in addition to his own works, Robertson made miniature versions of Stuart's larger works, putting his own interpretations on them so that they were not exact copies. The following year they went to Philadelphia where Robertson made several paintings of George Washington and Martha Washington. He returned to New York in 1796 and then left the city for India, where he died in 1801.
Robertson's works are highly sought after and examples can be found in The Metropolitan Museum, the Cincinnati Museum, and other major collections.
