2009/2012 - Additions and Comment

January 2012 - Four American additions

2012-01-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

Predictably, I am again behind with adding miniatures to the website, but there here are four American miniature portraits recently acquired for the collection.

The pair of ladies are unknown sitters by an unknown artist, but my pick is that they are mother and daughter, see View

The young man depicted is also unknown, but the miniature has been attributed to the well known artist John Wood Dodge, see View

The other miniature portrait is an engraving, which is almost outside the scope of this collection. When purchased the sitter was unknown, but I believed the engraving was by St Memin who was famous for miniature portraits of this nature.

However, with the kind help of the Smithsonian it was possible to identify the artist as Louis Lemet, who took over the business of St Memin. Lemet's work is far less common than that of St Memin.

The Smithsonian was also able to identify the sitter as Colonel Joseph Shippen (1732-1810) from a prominent Philadelphia family which produced several mayors of Philadelphia.

Around c1767 he wrote some verses praising the early "belles" of Philadelphia which can be read at View

Unusual micro-calligraphy of the 19C

2012-01-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

Can you please help me in researching these images? I am not sure whether they classify as micro calligraphy, micro-text, micro writing, micro engraving, or some other description?

The four miniature images have been sitting in a bottom drawer for about ten years without being researched. When purchased at auction I thought they were originals, but after the auction changed my mind to thinking they were engravings and, in disappointment, consigned them to the bottom drawer. Engravings seem more likely, as at the bottom can be see a little extra line of writing which is original and has bled a little into the paper.

From the frames, I think they date to the early or mid 19C. I have never seen any other examples and am now displaying them here in the hope that a kind visitor may have seen something similar and know the artist or more about the technique involved? If you can help identify them, please click on my profile for my email address and send me any information you have that may help throw a light on the subject.

If you click on any of the images you should a larger version and be able to see that each picture is made up of tiny dark or light writing, on varying angles to give the effect of shading. A partial and enhanced close up is included to help show the nature of the shading.

The right facing miniature portrait is 25mm high and the left facing portrait is 35mm high. The writing is very hard to read, but I wonder if one of them is intended to be Plato.

The two scenes are 60mm high. After a search based upon a small selection of words, it was found that the writing on these two is a transcription of writings of Oliver Goldsmith (1739-1774).

Slightly right and below the centre of the close-up image is written "a boy who happens to say a sprightly thing". This link should take you to the source of that quote, The miscellaneous works of Oliver Goldsmith

Goldsmith was an Irish writer, poet and physician known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield (1766), his pastoral poem The Deserted Village (1770) (written in memory of his brother), and his plays.

Goldsmith wrote The Good-Natur'd Man in 1768 and She Stoops to Conquer, which was first performed in 1773. He also wrote An History of the Earth and Animated Nature. He is thought to have written the classic children's tale The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes, the source of the phrase "goody two-shoes". 129, 130, 131, 132.

January 2012 - portraits of seven sculptors

2012-01-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

Three recent purchases of miniature portraits of famous sculptors, represent an opportunity to indicate how themes can also be a means of forming a collection of miniature portraits.

One is a miniature portrait of Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519). Leonardo da Vinci, was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. He is better known as the painter of the Mona Lisa, but also a sculptor famous for his plans for a huge bronze horse. The miniature of da Vinci is a 20C copy by Melocchi and the copy of the Mona Lisa showing here is also by Melocchi. See View

The second is a miniature of Michaelangelo, yet again a miniature copy by Melocchi. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art.

Despite making few forays beyond the arts, the versatility of Michelangelo in the disciplines he took up was of such a high order that he is often considered a contender for the title of the archetypal Renaissance man, along with fellow Italian Leonardo da Vinci. Michelangelo is famous for his sculpture of David.

The third is a miniature of the Italian sculptor, Antonio Canova (1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822), an Italian sculptor from the Republic of Venice who became famous for his marble sculptures that delicately rendered nude flesh. The epitome of the neoclassical style, his work marked a return to classical refinement after the theatrical excesses of Baroque sculpture. Showing here is Psyche Revived by Love's Kiss, which is in the Louvre. The miniature is by an unknown artist, see View

An honour for this collection during 2011 was the inclusion of a miniature portrait from the collection, being of the French sculptor, Joseph Chinard, in a new book of essays, Barocke Kunststuckh, which was published as a tribute to the scholar Christian Theuerkauff.

The particular essay being Ein kurslich identifiziertes Bildnis-medaillon des Dominique-Vivant Denon von Joseph Chinard in der Berliner Skulpturensammlung by Hans-Ulrich Kessler.

Joseph Chinard (Lyon, 12 February 1756 — Lyon 20 June 1813) was a French sculptor who worked in a Neoclassical style that was infused with naturalism and sentiment. Among his works is this bust of the Empress Josephine.

He received his early training in Lyon, as a painter, in the government-supported École Royale de Dessin, then worked with a local sculptor. His work at Lyon drew the attention of a patron who sent him to Rome, 1784-87. He sent back to Lyon copies of antiquities. In Rome he won a prize from the Accademia di San Luca, a signal honour for a non-Italian: his prize-winning sculpture, a terracotta Perseus and Andromeda remains in the collection of the Accademia. The miniature is on enamel by Francois Soiron, see View

François-Auguste-René Rodin (12 November 1840 – 17 November 1917), known as Auguste Rodin needs no introduction. He was a French sculptor generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, although he did not set out to rebel against the past. He was schooled traditionally, took a craftsman-like approach to his work, and desired academic recognition, although he was never accepted into Paris's foremost school of art. needs no introduction. The miniature is by Frank Nicolet, see View

The next sitter is identified as John Tweed (21 Jan 1869-12 Nov 1933) painted by John Stewart Clark. Tweed was one of the most famous British sculptors of the early 20C, who, despite being born in Glasgow, Scotland, is described as "the English Rodin" by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, see Other Sculptures by Rodin in the V&A - Victoria and Albert Museum Sculptures by Tweed were mainly memorials, such as this memorial to the Duke of Wellington in St Paul's Cathedral in London.

If Tweed had concentrated on artistic sculptures he may have achieved more fame in current times ,as memorial sculptures are now largely out of favour as an art form. See View

The seventh sculptor featured here is the American, Anna Coleman Ladd (nee Watts) (15 Jul 1878 - 3 Jun 1939) who came from a very wealthy Boston family. See View

Although she did not achieve the international fame of any of the other sculptors appearing here, her miniature is special as being a unique example of a self-portrait by her. She was noted during World War I for making face masks for soldiers disfigured in battle.

In addition, she is the only one of the seven featured for whom it was financially possible to buy a bronze sculpture by the artist for this collection, as her sculptures are still very modestly priced!

December - Two additions and re-discovering sitters

2011-12-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

Properly looked after, miniature portraits can have a life of hundreds of years. Many of those painted on ivory can already be 300 years old, and there is no reason why they should not last for another 300 years, if not 1,000 years.

Depicted here are two miniature portraits, one of a man by an unidentified artist, and one of a lady discovered to be by the American miniature painter, John Henry Brown, which provide me with an opportunity to climb again onto one of my hobby horses.
1 Please, please record the name of each sitter securely with each miniature.
2 If dire financial circumstances, or the end of a family line, dictate there is no one to inherit a miniature, please, please do not remove the name of the sitter if it has to be sold.

The historical interest is far greater for a known sitter. Even from a monetary point of view, the value is far greater with an identity, and far less without an identity.

The portrait of the man is only identified by the initials "TH" on the rear and that of the lady was offered for sale as an unknown lady by an unknown artist.

What was initially devastating to discover, was the realisation on opening the miniature of the lady that a previous owner had tried to remove the name of the sitter, leaving only the paper residue as shown here.

It has not been possible to identify the artist or sitter in the portrait of the man, see View but the detective work leading to the identification of John Henry Brown as the artist for the portrait of the lady, and her identity as Mrs Emily Hinds, is set out at View Also there are a number of other miniature portraits by John Henry Brown showing for comparison.

It is very rare to be able to discover the name of an apparently unknown sitter, so to do so is quite thrilling. Just imagine what might have been discovered about the man if his identity could also be rediscovered!

Other News
If any Wall Street banksters with huge bonuses to spend should read this post, they could do a lot worse as investments, than to have bid on a huge collection of high quality miniature portraits recently offered for sale on eBay for $356,000 or offer as eBay item 300626136340. I have not tried to estimate the value, but there are many nice miniatures in the collection which can currently be seen at www.importantminiatures.com/span> It represents an opportunity for a public art gallery or museum to form the nucleus of a world class collection of miniature portraits.

Barrett fakes
In contrast, Barrett fakes are again circulating, see eBay item 110786470377 - priced at £175 and as pictured here.

I told the vendor it was a fake, but he has refused to withdraw it. The frame is of resin, and the portrait is a print. Barrett never even painted portraits in this style.

Hence, I recommend that potential bidders should not buy on eBay from the vendor who sells under the name alandeun

Society medallions
Recently sold on eBay were two interesting medallions or tokens. One, sold for £386, was described as "this very unusual, Georgian, white metal medal, which was given as a prize in 1819. Engraved around the edge, it reads; 'To Mr Matthew Shepperson, for the best copy made in The School of Painting, Dec.10 1819'. The front with bust of King George III and the otherside with a study of the body. Matthew Shepperson was a fairly well known Georgian artist. This must be his medallion received from The Royal Academy."

The other, sold for £285 was described as "unusual, oxbone (sic -s/be ivory) medallion, which has been engraved with; 'Royal Academy Antique School 1768', to the other side Matthew Shepperson Anug 9 1816'. Matthew Shepperson was a fairly well known Georgian artist. This must be his medallion received from The Royal Academy. ."

I agree that the first one seems to be a prize medal, but I am not as sure about the second, which I had assumed to be a membership ticket rather than a prize, although I may be wrong.

In this collection there is a similar RA token engraved with the name of Charles Ferdinand Bischoff (1820-1898), the son of the artist F H Bischoff. Here are the front and reverse of his ivory ticket to the Royal Academy. On the front is written "Royal Academy Antique School 1768" and on the reverse "Chas Ferdinand Bischoff - Admitted 12th Dec'r 1840".

In over ten years of following eBay I have only seen one other example of the ivory ticket, so they are not common. Prize medals are also rare, as with the one below, which is the only example in this collection.

It is a silver medal awarded to Gisetta Mava Yale by the Cooper Union. It is 37 mm in diameter. On the front it is inscribed "Cooper Union - New York - Qui non proficit deficit - Founded May 25th 1859". On the reverse it is inscribed "Awarded to Gisetta Mava Yale - Miniature Painting from Life". The medal is housed in an original leather case. The retailers mark inside is rubbed, but appears to read "H Popper & Son - 402 5th Ave. and (?) 101 (?) Fulton Street - New York".

So far no other record has been found for this artist and only one other example of the medal has been seen. The artist must have been very competent and, judging by the inscription, it seems it was awarded for painting miniature portraits. The date of issue is not apparent, but was probably around 1900. An enquiry has been made of Cooper Union, but no reply was received.

Recently this reference to the Cooper Union Prize was found in the NYT of 2 June 1909. The only other instance so far located of a medal like this, is a single bronze medal in the NYHS eMuseum. That one was awarded to Helen M Turner for oil painting portrait and is dated 1899. Thus it is possible that more silver, and bronze examples exist.

November - Collecting Decorative Miniatures

2011-12-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

Additions
Apologies for a late post. Although the main aim of this collection is the "pursuit" of interesting "genuine" miniatures of "real" people, I do sometimes get diverted by unusual or better quality, "decorative" or copy miniatures of real people who are interesting and much more affordable than would be the originals!

The group here shows that an interesting collection of decorative miniatures can be assembled of interesting sitters, of an affordable quality above that of most decorative copies.

The first two appearing here are such copies. They represent Empress Eugenie of France View and Eugene Beauharnais, View the stepson of Napoleon via his mother Josephine Beauharnais, whose husband, Alexandre Beauharnais View was sent to the guillotine in 1794.

Additionally showing are some other better quality decorative miniature copies which also seemed sufficiently interesting to add into the collection. They were acquired around the same several years ago, but have not previously been added into the website display.

The first two will be readily recognisable as Leonardo da Vinci and a 20C miniature copy of "La Giocondo" by the Italian artist, Pittrice E Melocchi of Florence. See also View 1338, 1339

Decorative copies are also seen in the next two examples. One is of James VI of Scotland/James I of England who was the monarch when the two kingdoms were united. Again, a miniature copy of a previous portrait, but unusual in this format and well painted by an unknown artist. 1336

The other one is even more unusual, as it is a miniature wax portrait copy of this earlier portrait of The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, (Spanish: Carlos I, German: Karl V., Italian: Carlo V, Dutch: Karel V, French: Charles Quint; 24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558). He was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.

The miniature was sculpted by Nina Jemmett-Browne of Oxford, England, and exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1913, just before World War I. 1337

The Market Place
Those "banksters" with big bonuses to spend, may be attracted to some valuable miniatures currently offered for sale, see Big Things in Little Packages The offerings by Bonhams include a jeweled gold and nephrite imperial presentation snuff box, with a diamond-set monogram of Tsar Nicholas II, from circa 1890 (estimate: £80,000-£120,000) !!!

For those interested to see exhibitions of miniatures, there is currently one in Madrid which runs until 26 February 2012, see Las diminutas obras del Prado and also one at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington which runs until13 May 2012, see Mementos | National Portrait Gallery

September - Six additions to the collection

2011-09-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

Continuing on from the wide variety of acquisitions in recent months, there are a number of interesting miniature portrait additions to the collection.

One French, two British, and three American, and covering the period of 1825-1925.

The French one is by a previously unrecorded artist J Massard and is dated 1822, see View

A special addition is a charming miniature of three children by the American artist Nathaniel Rogers, see View This seems to be the only known miniature portrait by him depicting three sitters together.

There is a miniature by a previously unrecorded American artist Edgar Dennis of the mid 19C, which is possibly a self-portrait, see View

The two British miniatures are a tiny portrait in enamel of a dog titled "Impudence" by William Essex, which joins with a miniature of the same subject by William Bishop Ford acquired several months ago, see View

A 20C portrait of a man by A Birnbon, joins with another portrait bythis artist, of a young man which was acquired several years ago, see View

Also interesting is a rare portrait of King Edward VIII by Grace Rosher. Particularly unusual about this is that the reverse of the miniature is signed "Edward P" a favour granted to the artist by Edward when he was Prince of Wales, see View

August - Two family groups

2011-08-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

During August 2011, two family groups of miniature portraits have been added to the collection, comprising seven portraits.

Four members of the Buchanan family of Ireland and Canada, including a miniature by Charles Robertson.

One of them, James Buchanan, was for many years the British Consul in New York and wrote an early book about the American Indians, for much more about the Buchanan family, see View

And a French family of three, for more see View

August - Six additions

2011-08-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

A small group of five miniatures of significant historical figures were acquired from a single seller for this collection. Also acquired was an interesting self-portrait on enamel by a Swiss artist.

The group of five miniatures comprises three European and two American.

The first is a miniature portrait of Tsar Alexander II by Ivan Winberg. For more see; View Winberg was a Court painter in Russia and painted portraits of Alexander I, Nicholas I, as well as this one of Alexander II. The Hermitage Museum has a miniature of Alexander I in its collection.

A pair of miniatures portraits, depicted the second daughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Alice who married Prince Louis of Hesse. The case of Prince Louis is inscribed "Louis of Hesse / 1st July 1862 / From Alice and Louis / Xmas 1862" with that of Princess Alice inscribed "Alice / 1st July 1862 / From Alice and Louis / Xmas 1862".

Thus they appear to have been intimate Christmas gifts, perhaps as a thank-you for wedding presents from July 1862. Although one might expect there to be other similar examples in existence, so far none seem to be known. For more see; View

Also two miniatures, both believed to be portraits of the actress Lillian Russell. For more about them see; View

Self-portraits always seem special and this miniature self-portrait on enamel by the Swiss miniaturist Marceline Emilie Lafontaine-Saran (1839-1892) is no exception.

There are several self-portraits in this collection, but this is the only one painted in enamel.

Painting in enamel is an especially demanding technique, as the colours need to be applied separately and they change colour during the process of firing in a kiln. For more see; View

July - Five additons and a rare artist for the Guest Gallery

2011-07-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

An image of the first miniature portrait was sent to me by a kind visitor for placing in the Guest Gallery, where rare or unusual miniatures belonging to other owners can be displayed.

It is a signed portrait of Catharine Putnam Brinley, by a very rare Canadian born artist of undoubted ability, who worked in Boston, Mary Elizabeth Lalanne (1808-1836). Her early death has clearly deprived us of many fine portraits. For more about her see View

The second miniature is also by a Canadian born artist, Gerald Sinclair Hayward (1845-1926). He was born in Port Hope Ontario, but spent much time in New York and in Britain, Germany, and Russia, where he painted many notables.

This miniature is signed and dated 1885, with the sitter being a famous author of Civil War letters, Dr John Gardner Perry. The letter are easy to read and reveal some of the horrors of the Civil War, both on and off the battlefield. To go direct to the letters, see Read Online For much more about Perry see View

The miniature of a cat (dog?) may seem out of place in this collection, but is signed and dated 1866 by William Bishop Ford. It is in enamel on gold, the only miniature on gold in the collection. It is only the size of a small fingernail and was originally set into a man's tiepin. For more see View

In complete contrast the miniature of Mrs Robert Owen and her children, is huge for a miniature portrait on ivory, the sight size being 7 inches by 5 inches (180mm x 130mm). Research into the family is still in progress, and can be seen at View

Also showing are a pair of miniature portraits attributed to the Swiss artist, Johann-Jakob Muller (1762-1817).

Being in pen and watercolour on paper, they have faded and the paper has changed colour with age. They thus do show why there was such a preference for miniature portraits on ivory for those who could afford them.

The pair are still being researched, with more detail available at View

At my home page, I welcome the opportunity to add links to two more sites about miniature portraits. One in Poland Miniatury portretowe and another one in France PORTRAIT MINIATURE ... EN FRANCE It is great to know that those interested in the subject are helping to make a large inter-linked resource for collectors and art historians. I am very grateful for the time and effort that all the other collectors have put into their own websites

June - Addtions to the Collection

2011-06-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

New additions include four miniatures classified as American. The first of these is a miniature of Mrs John Sanders van Rensselaer, formerly Ann Dunkin, which has been attributed to John Vanderlyn and was painted in New York in 1815 or 1816, soon after his return from studying in France, which explains the French looking appearance of this portrait.

Opinions vary as to whether Vanderlyn painted miniature portraits, but at the current time there does not appear to be a better candidate for this miniature.

Research into the portrait has revealed some interesting aspects of American history, of a family with members on both sides of the War of Independence, for more details, see View

A nice pair of signed British miniature portraits of a minister and his wife, by a little known British artist, A Scot, who was active around 1810, see View Also, an unusual enamel miniature of William Pitt the Elder, who was Lord Chatham and father of William Pitt, the Younger, now with a foliate and ebonised frame, but which may have originally been the cover on a Bilston enamel box of c1760. For more, see View

After the French Revolution a number of French miniature painters fled to America. The names of some of them are known, but not all. Thus, an American miniature of c1807 by a French artist can be seen at View The post includes some more discussion of early case making in America. Finally, there is a rare pair of signed and dated miniatures of 1830 by the American artist Charlotte Deming, see View They are probably marriage portraits and while their condition is not perfect, their rarity makes them an interesting addition.

May - more on investing in art - gains and losses

2011-05-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Investing in Miniatures
Since I wrote the previous post at View commenting upon the market place, I have been asked the following questions;

1 When you write about the investment prospects for miniatures is it across the board or just for certain eras and genre? More for the Georgian miniatures? For both British and American miniatures?

2 What are the appreciation prospects for American, German (Dresden Porcelain) and French Revival miniatures? The American would be on ivory and ceramics (porcelain and milk glass). The Dresden porcelain miniatures I refer to are the photographic portrait types. French would be on ivory and enameled copper.

I replied;

I was primarily thinking about American miniatures, rather than British or European. Per head of population, USA miniatures in USA are far, far, rarer than British/European are in Britain/Europe. Think about where the population and wealth was in 1770-1820, not in USA, and the USA was disrupted by wars during that time, and again in the 1860's, so even less were painted there.

However, it is also fair to say there is more understanding of miniatures by mature art collectors in Britain and Europe. They are a limited resource; as no more 19C-20C miniatures will be painted!

Someone said "it is hard to make predictions, especially with respect to the future ". But I think attractive miniatures, by known American artists, in good condition, bought carefully at sensible prices should continue to appreciate and have little downside risk. In addition, I feel there is far more pleasure than looking at share or gold certificates!! A modern art painting can cost say $1m, but with a risk of then going out of fashion. In comparison, for the same money one could, (if you can find them!!) theoretically buy a portfolio of 1000 miniatures at $1000 each. Which would you rather have as an investment?

Americans are rightly interested in their art and social history. As I say there are not many quality American miniatures from 1790-1920, and they are gradually ending up in museums and historical societies, and so become unavailable for the private collector. I think ignorance of their actual existence is a factor holding them back, so they are overlooked. Look what prices are obtained for political, film, and sports historical items etc.

Few Americans understand them, so there is a buying advantage for those who study the subject and the artists now. But as "ordinary people" see miniatures on the Antiques Roadshow and elsewhere, knowledge of their existence should spread and so increase demand. But who really knows!

Some examples of quality American miniatures are shown in an article at Philadelphia Portrait Miniatures 1760-1860 by Carol Eaton Soltis … These examples are in museums, but do give an idea of the type I was meaning. In particular, early miniatures with identified sitters will attract a premium. A good example of this was a sale on eBay this week.

This miniature of Abbott Lawrence is by the miniature painter George Lethbridge Saunders (1807 - 1863) who was English and worked in South Carolina, painting important dignitaries including Jefferson Davis. The portrait is of Abbott Lawrence who was a prominent American businessman, politician and philanthropist. He founded Lawrence, Massachusetts and the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard. I think if the sitter had been unidentified and known as painted by Saunders, the miniature would have sold for $800-$1200, but due to being such an important sitter the final price was $4,810.

Of course, the potential for investment returns is determined by how well the investment was bought! Obviously, quality bought cheaply, will appreciate more than the same quality bought expensively! As with buying any antique or artwork, it is important to remember that miniatures sold by reputable dealers will be fully priced, to reflect their selling guarantees and their work and research in locating the miniatures they offer for sale.

Hence, if one wishes to consider miniature portraits as an investment aimed at maximising one's investment return, rather than as purely a decorative object d'art the subject must be researched and knowledge built up by a collector. This will give a collector/investor the knowledge and courage to buy direct at public auctions. Similarly, if one is investing instead of collecting, the costs of resale need to be considered, so a significant increase in value, perhaps 30%, will be needed just to cover potential costs of resale. A recent eBay purchase for this collection involved limited knowledge, and more courage, which is hoped will be justified.

The miniature was described as by John Vanderlyn, who was an American artist, but it does not look American in style, so collectors and potential buyers of American miniatures were discouraged. However, the name of the sitter is on the reverse. The writing was hard to read, but it was eventually possible to read that she is Mrs John Sanders van Rensselaer, formerly Ann Dunkin, a wealthy Philadelphia beauty, who was married on 12 March 1816 in Philadelphia.

The van Rensselaers were an important New York family and so Ann was related by marriage to Mrs Stephen van Rensselaer III, of whom there are two miniatures in the Metropolitan collection of miniatures, one by Robert Fulton and one by Nathaniel Rogers.

Ann's grandmother, Mrs Ann Dunkin, together with her grandson, i.e. Ann's first child, were painted by Thomas Sully, so the family was accustomed to commissioning paintings. While the attribution to John Vanderlyn still needs more research, it is looking increasingly likely as he trained in France before returning to America in 1815 and if confirmed, the purchase price of $750 will represent a substantial discount on the real value.

The above comments more address American miniature portraits, but they are also relevant to collectors in Britain and Europe who wish to study and research the subject, and then buy at public auction. For example, although they are not American, two recent purchases for this collection were miniatures by Domenico Bossi and Nicholas Freese, both described at auction as by unknown artists. Their combined cost was about $750, but by determining the artists, the market value of the two is now probably around ten times their cost.

It has been mentioned before that a major aim with this Artists and Ancestors Collection is to have fun while collecting, and by making the limited funding available go a long way. Thus, rather than purchasing fully priced miniatures, part of that the objective has been to have an average purchase cost of under $500 per miniature.

The three examples appearing here were purchased in the space of two months and cost $1500 in total, so their average cost was $500. They are worth much more than that, so they show illustrate that bargains can still be found. Obviously, that does not happen every day (more's the pity!), but it does show that, as with any investment decision, buying well is the result of study and research, and having the courage to back one's judgement and knowledge against other bidders.

That does not mean that mistakes can be completely avoided. I still make them and 10%-15% of the miniatures still displayed as part of this collection are readily admittedly as my mistakes!! - They will need to be sold over time, but the aim is for successes to outweigh mistakes. And the cost of a mistake, once realized and mitigated via a subsequent resale, is usually recouped by improved decision making in the future.

Falling Values

As an extra comment, I also notice Kovell's reporting other evidence of rising prices at Prices Go High and Low Their comment there about low prices is also interesting, as it tends to illustrate another point I made, that some modern art items can go out of fashion. They report on a picture sold for $16,800 in 2005, which has just resold for $1,673.

I also note the following reference at http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/rare-portraits-of-tasmanian-aborigines-up-for-sale-20110515-1eoah.html#ixzz1MSJuq8Jj

Also being auctioned at Sotheby's tomorrow is Australian impressionist John Russell's The Artist's Children on the Beach, estimated at just $400,000 to $600,000 - a far cry from the $1.8 million (including commissions) it sold for at auction in 2007 during the market boom. The painting was then bought by Melbourne property developers Max Moar and Iris Lustig, who are believed to be selling it tomorrow night.

May - comments

2011-05-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

Investments
In my last post I commented;
This prompts me to comment on something I have been pondering recently. That is we may see solid increases in the market value of quality miniature portraits over the next few years. We have seen the price of both gold and silver rise a great deal in the last few years, also agricultural commodities. While they are somewhat opposite in nature, I sense there will be an element of profit taking if professional investors sense the markets are approaching any high point.

That then provides investors with a dilemma as to what to reinvest in. Interest rates are very low, and major Western currencies and economies have been under pressure, hence recent sharemarket rises. There will however be a resistance to following the market to the excessive PE ratios of several years ago. Hence, high quality art and antique items seem likely to become attractive for defensive investment purposes.

I did not expect to be proved correct so soon! They may rise again, but in the week since I wrote the above comment, the value of silver has fallen by 25%, to under $35, gold is down close to 10%, and oil has also fallen back. This is due to various factors, including profit taking.

The Federal Reserve deserves a lot of blame for these Bubble Type price fluctuations. With the QE2 policy and low interest rates, money is available, virtually for free to major investors. There is literally "gold on the streets" for the picking up. But once picked up, there is the question of how to invest it? Interest is a charge for risk, but with minimal interest costs, the perception of risk is also lessened and speculators have used the "free money" to buy commodities, causing a bubble and rapid food inflation around the world.

I also suggested in my previous post that profit taking gains from commodities might be reinvested in quality miniature portraits. Sothebys obviously have come to the same conclusion, as during the week, I also received prior notice of the auction of a miniature portrait as follows;
A locket-size self-portrait by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is displayed in this undated photograph released April 27, 2011. The self-portrait and a historical sweep of works by Fernando Botero will be sold next month at Sotheby's in its 20th century Latin American auction. Sotheby's said "Autorretrato en Miniatura," or self-portrait in miniature, which sold for $225,750 in 2000, could fetch up to $1.2 million.
It is Kahlo's smallest work, measuring just 2 inches by 1-5/8 inches, the auction house said. In the oval portrait, she appears youthful and serene and wears chandelier-like earrings that emit a muted sparkle. REUTERS/Sotheby's.

To me, this example shows that Modern Art is another "investment bubble." A distant echo of the South Seas Bubble and the Dutch Tulip Bubble, and a more current echo of the 2000 Dot Com Bubble, also, sadly, the 2006 Dow Index Bubble, and the Housing Bubble.

Using a crude measure, at $1,200,000 the Kahlo represents about $400,000 per square inch, whereas the record for a large Kahlo is $5.61m achieved in 2005. If that was say, 20 inches by 20 inches, and a comparable value per square inch, it would be "worth" $160,000,000. Which is plain daft!

There are in this collection about half a dozen self-portraits in miniature, mainly by American artists, showing a great more artistic skill, and acquired for about $500 on average. Thus, (tongue in cheek), I am willing to consider offers of $1,200,000 each for them, or say a special bulk deal, of all six for $6,000,000!!

Restoration of Miniatures
Purchasers of miniatures can encounter damaged miniatures. It can be expensive to have these restored, as it is time consuming and requires a great deal of skill on the part of a restorer. Although, the commentary is not in English, a number of very careful and clever restorations by one collector can be seen at
http://colecciondeminiaturas.blogspot.com/2011/05/la-fragilidad-de-las-miniaturas.html

As can be seen in the opening image, this collection is very impressive. The prime focus is on Spanish miniatures, but the before and after images of miniature portraits requiring restoration are very interesting. It shows how apparently ruined miniatures can be restored to their former appearance. The collector concerned deserves a great deal of credit for his efforts.

April update - Additions and Comments

2011-04-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Miscellaneous Additions
The additions showing here were acquired fairly recently, but procrastination has prevented several of them from being added to the website. None are outstanding, but they include several interesting sitters, the research for which was, as usual, fascinating to explore through the Internet.

The rarest item is probably the portrait of the Russian Grand Duchesses who were murdered in 1918. The miniature was painted in Berlin in a narrow window between 1913 and 1914, immediately before the start of World War I, after which it would no longer have been politically acceptable to paint a portrait of Russian Royalty in Germany or in Communist Russia. Thus there can be very few miniatures of the family in existence.

For more details and images, follow the links below;

Unknown - portrait of General van Renen see View

Charlotte Farrier - portrait of James Courthope Peache see View

Unknown - portrait of General George Washington see View

M Autant - portrait of Art Nouveau lady see View

Adolf Helzel - Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana see View

Leonard Morel-Ladeuil - the death of Andre Mazet see View

Portraits of General George Washington are unusual, as most portraits designate him as President George Washington. Also interesting is the Morel snuff box. This commemorates the work of French doctors during an outbreak of yellow-fever in Barcelona in 1821 when 20,000 victims died.

New Specialist Dealer
For anyone interested in buying quality miniature portraits, there is a list of auctioneers and dealers in the Background to Miniature Portraits link at View Blog . A recent addition to this is Emma Rutherford who is consulting at Philip Mould | Fine Paintings | Works For Sale | Miniatures Those interested in the subject will remember that Emma used to work for an auction house and more recently is the author of a highly regarded book, Silhouette: The Art of the Shadow which is available from Amazon.

Emma advises that Philip Mould, well known for his knowledge with large portraits, is launching his new business ‘Philip Mould Portrait Miniatures’ at the Masterpiece Exhibition in June. He is also arranging a lecture on portrait miniatures in June (http://www.philipmould.com/news.php) which British collectors may be interested to attend.

Investments
This prompts me to comment on something I have been pondering recently. That is we may see solid increases in the market value of quality miniature portraits over the next few years. We have seen the price of both gold and silver rise a great deal in the last few years, also agricultural commodities. While they are somewhat opposite in nature, I sense there will be an element of profit taking if professional investors sense the markets are approaching any high point.

That then provides investors with a dilemma as to what to reinvest in. Interest rates are very low, and major Western currencies and economies have been under pressure, hence recent sharemarket rises. There will however be a resistance to following the market to the excessive PE ratios of several years ago. Hence, high quality art and antique items seem likely to become attractive for defensive investment purposes.

Antique silver has been carried along with the rise of silver bullion due to its intrinsic value, but my feeling is that other quality art and antique items will follow the trend. They have been out of fashion with the trend to minimalism, but I believe we are now seeing resistance to minimalism as a furnishing style, as it is so associated with the now unfashionable cult of conspicuous consumer consumption. However, as usual, time will tell!

April - Additions and some new research

2011-04-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

One aspect of this website resource is the Guest Gallery, which enables other collectors and researchers to kindly share information about miniature portraits. This month a kind researcher has submitted information about Benjamin Trott and a portrait he painted of Dr John Floyd. To read more, see View

There have been a variety of additions to the collection, but I have been behind in posting them onto the website, so some have been acquired more recently than others.

One is an attractive miniature by an American artist. Although perhaps not by a top artist, I feel it must be possible to attribute an artist, but so far have been uncertain. Expert opinion on an attribution would be welcome.

The miniature portrait of an unidentfied young lady in a black dress with a white lace shawl was painted in Boston around 1835-1840.

For more detail, see View

Another recent addition is a most attractive miniature of an unidentified young lady in a white dress by a British artist whose work appears infrequently.

The miniature was offered for sale at auction as by an unknown artist, and so was bought very cheaply, but a kind expert has identified the artist as Nicholas Freese (1762-after 1824).

Foskett notes that he was active in London in 1794-1814. Judging by the hairstyle, this would appear to be one of his later works probably dating to around 1810-1812.

Foskett says very little about Freese, but the advent of the Internet has readily enabled research into the artist and so to find how he fitted into 19C society.

For example, his daughter Mary was an actress who married Henry Kemble of the famous theatrical family.

Sadly, he had a son George who was killed during the Napoleonic Wars and Nicholas then exhibited a portrait of his son at the RA in his memory. For more about Nicholas Freese see View

For two recently acquired French miniatures, one by a previously unknown artist, see View and View Both miniatures are of similar size, but it is interesting to compare them and see the effects of the French Revolution on men's clothes. The second man has no wig, and is wearing the colours of the revolution, as a patriotic gesture, but also to avoid potential persecution as a Bourbon supporter. It is also interesting to note that the "rosy" background to the 1785 miniature, has turned to a sombre grey colour for the 1795 portrait, something more in keeping with events of the intervening ten years.

March - Three interesting miniature portraits added

2011-03-11T15:47:00.000-08:00

It gets harder and harder to find interesting portraits, as there is usually much competition from other collectors for miniature portraits which are a little different. Thus, the three additions this month are fortunate and welcome as being of above average interest. One British, one European and one American.

The British addition to the collection is a fine miniature portrait (110mm x 80mm) by an artist only identified as "B. H." The sitter was unidentified when purchased, but by painstaking searching on the Internet and interpretation of his medals and decorations, his identity has become clear as being Field Marshal Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer, 1st Viscount Plumer, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE (13 March 1857 – 16 July 1932), a British colonial official and soldier born in Torquay who commanded the British Second Army in World War I and later served as High Commissioner of the British Mandate for Palestine. For more about him see View 1405

Another fortunate purchase for this collection is a miniature portrait by Domenico Bossi (1765-1853) an Italian artist born in Trieste, but who worked in several different cities. For more about the portrait see View 1409

The miniature was sold as unsigned, but there appeared to be a signature and on opening the miniature the signature was indeed very faint, but by enhancing the sharpness and contrast of the image, it became possible to read the signature as "D Bossi 1795".

Schidlof describes Domenico Bossi (1765-1853) "as one of the best miniaturists of his period; in particular his works of the 18C are remarkable for expression and relief. In his first period he painted the shadows in surfaces using contrasts of sometimes hard light parts."

The third miniature is a self-portrait by the Argentinian artist, Luna Alston de Gallegos, for another self-portrait and other examples by her see View This is very special, as by an amazing chance, it was a second self-portrait of Luna.

On the obverse it is inscribed "Luna 1914" and on the reverse it is inscribed " Luna Alston de Gallegos painted by Luna June 1914". It therefore represents her at 33 years of age. 1404

Self- portraits are special, as they must have been treasured possessions of the artists concerned. They help to show the character of the artist, and they complement any miniature portraits by the artist of other sitters.

February 2011 - wax miniatures by Ethel Frances Mundy

2011-03-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

Last year a most appealing wax portrait by Ethel Frances Mundy (1876-1964) was acquired for this collection, see View The miniatures by Mundy are very rare and that was the first one I had ever handled.

The sitter was identified and hence, which made it even more special. Hence, it was initially a hard decision when I was contacted by the family of the sitter. However, when I found out that the sitter was still alive, it made it into an easy decision and the miniature is now in the possession of the sitter.

That, however, left a gap in the collection for such a special artist!

So when an opportunity arose to acquire two other miniatures by Ethel Frances Mundy, it was an opportunity not to be missed.

The two are earlier examples of her work. They are unsigned and the sitters are unknown. The smaller one of a child holding a puppet is 5 1/2 inches in diameter and the larger one of a girl sitting on a chair is 6 inches in diameter.

The smaller one is fractured into several pieces, but they are not obvious and it would be possible to restore the miniature.

Neither has a glass cover, and it is hard to see any obvious signs to show there may have been a glass cover originally.

The biography of Ethel Frances Mundy by Anna Wetherill Olmstead illustrates a number of miniatures by Mundy. Those after about 1930 show the date in Roman numerals, and are signed.

There is one dated 1923 in Arabic numerals, is signed, and shows the names of the sitters.

As the pair shown here are unsigned, unidentified, and undated, I think they must be early examples from around 1920.

The detail of the children's shoes shows the attention to detail, even with her early work.

Nevertheless they are a delightful pair and are welcome to fill a gap for such a rare artist. 1408a, 1408b.

December - Market sales

2010-12-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

When commenting about Nathaniel Rogers, I noted that a strong attribution to a respected artist increases the value of a miniature portrait.

This is particularly true in the American market, where there were few artists active 1760-1840 and hence quality examples are rare. The top ranked artists are E G Malbone, Charles Peale, and James Peale.

In December 2010, Michaan's Auctions of Alameda, CA sold Lot 1245, a Portrait Miniature of J. Mathewson, which had descended through the family. Although unsigned, the auctioneer picked the artist, realizing it was painted by Edward Greene Malbone. The portrait was in lovely condition and the estimate was $4,000 - $6,000.

The starting bid of $2000 rapidly rose to a hammer price of $16,000. This appears to be a further sign of increasing values for miniatures by top artists.

It is interesting to compare the value of the "real thing" with this well-painted copy of a self-portrait of Malbone which was recently sold on eBay for £275.

The original of this Malbone self portrait appears as the frontispiece of Ruel Tolman's biography, "The Life and Works of Edward Greene Malbone". This biography itself is now quite rare, although second-hand copies are often available for purchase on Abebooks. For example, and for those interested, I currently notice there are eight copies available there for prices of $95 to $225.

Another excellent price was recently achieved for a miniature portrait, when Freemans sold a miniature described as "After Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) - miniature portrait of revolutionary general Daniel Morgan (1736-1802) - Watercolor on ivory, gilt locket case bearing the bright-cut initials "D.M" on verso, hinged leather case. 1 3/4 in. x 1 1/2 in. This miniature portrait closely resembles the portrait of Gen. Daniel Morgan painted from life , circa 1794, by Charles Willson Peale, in the collection of the Independence National Historic Park. Estimate $25,000-35,000.

Although Freemans had described it as being by a follower of Peale, buyers must have been satisfied it was a copy of the oil portrait by Peale himself, as the miniature sold for $70,000 plus commission. Apparently the buyer was an institution. This is an example of a work that is now no longer available to the private market.

In April 2010 Freemans sold as Lot 281 a miniature by James Peale (1749-1831), being a portrait miniature of John Thomas Harris, Jr. It was signed and dated, "IP 1802," watercolor on ivory, gilt locket case with plaited hair and cipher, "JH," at back. 2 1/2 in. x 2 3/8 in. The miniature descended through the family to the present owner. Estimate $10,000-15,000.

The miniature sold for $13,750, a healthy price including the buyer's commission. In April concerns about the economy were a little greater than now, with a subsequent rise in the Dow Index since then. Thus the value of the James Peale miniature is probably higher now.

Quality miniatures are already rare, and with the auction prices achieved by the EG Malbone and the CW Peale, it seems that market values will continue to increase. As miniatures by these artists gravitate into institutional collections, it will become even harder for private collectors to obtain examples. Likely leading to a flow on effect to availability and hence values, for the next tier of artists.

The above examples were known sitters, which as with the Morgan, can considerably enhance the value.

Even values for third ranked artists are starting to increase.

As with this miniature of an unknown sitter, described as "A super fine and handsome gentleman miniature portrait painting. It is a watercolor on natural substrate, signed and dated Doyle 1810 (inscribed into paint) lower left. The painting is by Massachusetts miniature artist William M.S. Doyle (1769-1828)".

The case is a particularly fine example of the period, and the miniature sold on eBay for $1228.

November 2010 - Nathaniel Rogers at auction

2010-11-26T15:04:00.000-08:00

One of the best, and most prolific, American miniature painters of the early 19C was Nathaniel Rogers (1787-1844). Rogers first exhibited at the American Academy of Fine Arts in 1817 and thereafter was a regular contributor. As he rarely signed his work, attributing his miniatures can be a challenge for those unfamiliar with his work.

However, for those collectors who recognize his miniature portraits, his style, although changing as his career developed, is very distinctive, although it is a bit difficult to explain what makes it so distinctive. I think probably it is his soft perfection, with his distinctive style best explained and understood by comparing the eyes of his various sitters. Certainly his work is appealing and most collections have at least one example. The Metropolitan Museum has 19 miniature portraits by Rogers and the Smithsonian has three examples.

The difficulties for those preparing auction catalogs without expert knowledge of miniature portrait artists, are illustrated by miniature portraits sold by four different auctioneers in October/November 2010.

The four sales included six miniatures by Nathaniel Rogers, none of which were picked by the auction houses. Hence most of the lots had low estimates. This naturally represented a good buying opportunity for collectors, that is if no other dealer or collector recognized the work of Rogers! It is quite uncommon that six examples should appear in such a short time. Usually, only one or two of Rogers' miniatures come on to the market each year.

The first was sold by Cowan's Auctions. The description being; "Lot 278 Noyes Darling Portrait Miniature on Ivory Connecticut, 1812, portrait miniature on ivory of young gentleman, copper frame engraved on verso identifies sitter as Noyes Darling/1812, also on verso an aperture containing woven hair and on the glass is script initials of N D); 2.25 x 2.75 in. Research finds Noyes Darling of Woodbridge, New Haven County, Conn. ran on the 1819, New Haven Democratic ticket for Representative with Ralph I. Ingersoll, for Senator was Jared Bassett. He was also, Member of Connecticut state senate, 1825-27, 1830-31. Estimate $1500-$2500"

This was an early miniature by Rogers, and although, not described as by Rogers, that fact was noticed by buyers, with the added importance of the named sitter achieving an excellent hammer price of $6000.

Another interesting one by Rogers, also important as an identified sitter, was of Mrs Anna M Jarvis.

The auction description was; Freemans Auction, Lot 17. "American School 19th century. Miniature portrait of Mrs Anna M Jarvis. Unsigned watercolor on ivory, gilt metal locket frame inscribed "Mrs Anna M Jarvis, wife of James Jarvis, 1810." 2 5/8 in x 2 1/4 in. $500-$700."

Significant about this portrait, is that Nathaniel Rogers was for a time in partnership with Joseph Wood (1778-1830), who had previously been in partnership with John Wesley Jarvis (1780-1840). Hence, although I have not researched the relationship between James Jarvis and John Wesley Jarvis, it is probable that they were closely related.

At the auction it was clear that collectors and/or dealers had recognized Rogers' work, as it sold for $2250 inclusive of buyer's commission, four times the low estimate. I think this was a cheap price for a known sitter worthy of more research.

Lest anyone think these were expensive, the same sale included a miniature portrait by Charles Peale of General Daniel Morgan, which sold for $85,000 to an Institution for three times the pre-sale estimate. This example shows the value attributable to famous sitters, it being remembered each miniature portrait is unique; unlike rare coins, bank-notes, or postage stamps, and quality items are becoming scarcer, as more are purchased for museum collections.

Another Nathaniel Rogers miniature was sold by Neal Auction Company.

The auction description was Neal Auction; Lot 1160. "American School, 19th c., "Portrait of a Gentleman", miniature watercolor on ivory, unsigned, lock of hair under glass en verso of frame, 2 3/4 in. x 2 1/4 in., in original frame, all set within a velvet lined presentation case. $200/300."

It is a very nice portrait and again the artist was picked by dealers and/or collectors, so it sold for $2440 inclusive of commission, ten times the low estimate.

Unsuccessful bids were made on two of the above lots for this collection. However, they were relatively modest bids, just in case no one had recognized the artist! - And handicapped by being overspent, after being fortunate enough to win other Rogers miniatures offered at a third art auction, just two weeks earlier.

They were part of a lot offered by Kaminski Auctions, where none of the artists were identified by the auctioneers.

The auction description was; Kaminski Auctions; "Lot: 3395 - Description: Six (6) miniature portraits, watercolor on ivory, largest is 3 1/4" x 2 1/2". Three (3) have cracked ivory; not examined out of frames. Estimate $300~500"

Although three miniatures were cracked, the lot was sold for a hammer price of $3100, another instance where the sale price was ten times the low estimate. The miniature at the top left is the only identified sitter. From an inscription on the reverse, his name appears to be Robert Bloomfield. Initially, the miniature could not be attributed, but a kind authority on American miniatures has since advised it appears to be an early Nathaniel Rogers. Rogers is believed to have met Anson Dickinson in Connecticut before moving to New York in 1807, where he took instruction from P Howell and Uriah Brown, before becoming an apprentice to Joseph Wood in 1811. Thus, Rogers' early work was influenced by those artists, and this can be seen in the Robert Bloomfield miniature. Although the damage adversely affects its value, the miniature does have interest as a named sitter and an early example by Rogers.

Rogers quickly developed his own style, maturing into that of the man on the right and the lady at the bottom left, which are also by Rogers, most likely a husband and wife pair. Although they are in replacement frames their condition is very good for miniatures 200 years old, and better than appears in the above image, as they benefited from the glasses being cleaned. The lady is very similar in appearance to the miniature of Matilda Few of c1815, owned by the Metropolitan Museum, so she and her husband probably date to around 1815. That makes them quite early works by Rogers, as Rogers took over Joseph Wood's practice in 1814. The CAA at the Gibbes Museum owns another Rogers miniature of a not too dissimilar lady named Martha Johnson, which must date to around 1815.

The fact of the two Rogers miniatures being in replacement frames itself is of interest. As I have discussed elsewhere, the art of miniature painting and the obtaining of artist's materials were adversely impacted upon by the Embargo Act and the War of 1812. Ivory itself does not seem to have been hard to obtain, but frames were imported from Britain. From the passing of the Embargo Act, until the aftermath of the 1812 War had passed, the reduced number of miniatures painted during this period tended to be housed in "make-do" frames, made of whatever local materials and scraps were available. These were not well enough or purpose made to last, and hence miniatures painted between 1808 and 1818 have often been given replacement cases. A personal opinion is that genuine "make-do" frames dating from between 1808 and 1818 are important historical relics in their own right, and they should be retained, if a miniature of the period is found housed in one of them.

The man on the left was also in good condition, either British or American, he has not yet been attributed to an artist. The other two cracked miniatures include one by Robert Field and a lady by Edward Miles. Although in poor condition, the two are still helpful for reference purposes.

The fortunate purchase of the three Rogers miniatures at the Kaminski auction, brings the total of Rogers miniatures in this collection to eight. The one of the pretty young lady is especially welcome as "pretty ladies and children" are much harder to find than "boring old men", the previous acquisitions all being males.

The others are shown here in approximate time of painting, so that the development of Rogers style can be seen. The second one is in a "make-do" case of around 1815 with an extra fillet, and the others range through to the rectangular one dating to about 1830, which has an unusual background very similar in style to two portraits of ladies by Rogers in the Metropolitan collection.

Over time, Rogers tended to move from a more angular, gaunt and unsmiling style, reminiscent of Joseph Wood and appropriate to the United States during the time of the 1807 Embargo Act and the resultant War of 1812, to a well-fed and rosy cheeked appearance, with a hint of a smile, during the following years of peace and prosperity! This latter period was a time when more people could afford to have miniatures painted and hence most of Rogers miniatures date from between 1820 and 1835, with his output seeming to cease just prior to the advent of the cold wind of photography. Rogers was only 57 when he died, so could have been even more prolific had he lived longer.
Rogers, Nathaniel - portrait of David Ryerson
Rogers, Nathaniel - portrait of Dana Eleutheros Comstock
Rogers, Nathaniel - portrait of a man
Rogers, Nathaniel - portrait of Master Bucknell
Rogers, Nathaniel - portrait of a young man

Although the vendors of the above lots sold in October/November 2010 were probably pleased they sold for so much above estimate, if an auctioneer does attribute a miniature to Nathaniel Rogers, the price can go even higher.

In February 2007, Skinners offered this miniature by Rogers. It was described as; Portrait Miniature of "W.A. in the 26th year of his age," attributed to Nathaniel Rogers (American 1788-1844), "Taken Nov, 12, 1827," subject date and artist identified in inscriptions on the reverse, watercolor on ivory, showing a bust-length oval portrait of the man facing right wearing a navy jacket with brass buttons, white shirt and cravat, 2 3/4 x 2 1/4 in., in a period mahogany frame with gilt brass liner. Condition: Very good. Note: Nathaniel Rogers was one of New York City's leading miniaturists in the early 19th century. Estimate $1,000-1,500".

As a result of the strong attribution, the miniature sold for $4,993 including commission.

It is not long ago that Rogers work was modestly priced. In October 1996, Christie's sold two attributed miniatures by Rogers, one being very special, for an average of $3000, and and in 1999 Christie's sold nine Rogers miniatures at prices ranging from $630 to $2235, with an average of around $1300.

Perhaps an earlier record auction high for Rogers was achieved by Bonhams in 2005 when they sold lot 69; "Nathaniel Rogers (American, 1787-1844) - Christopher Columbus Boardman, wearing a dark grey jacket with brass buttons, pale yellow waistcoat, white shirt and stock gilt-mounted black papier-mâché frame, the reverse inscribed, Christopher Columbus Boardman/ b.19 March 1806 Troy NY/ died 16 June 1838 Hartford Conn./ Left to Kenneth Boardman by/ his (CCB's) daughter Clara Frances/ (Boardman) Harvey who died/ November 10, 1907. Rectangular, 76mm. (3ins.) high". Inclusive of commission the auction price was GBP4560, say $7000.

Bonhams sold another Rogers miniature in November 2007 as lot 315; "Nathaniel Rogers (American, 1788-1844)- A Gentleman, wearing black coat, white waistcoat and cravat. Signed on the obverse Rogers, chased foliate gilt-metal frame, the reverse with off-set aperture to reveal black silk. Oval, 70mm (2 3/4in) high. The auction price achieved by Bonhams was GBP1920, say $3000.

Grogan and Company Auctions sold a Rogers miniature of a man in 2009 for $2300. Thus, post the financial crisis, the auction value of Rogers' unattributed work, of an unidentified sitter in good condition, appears to be in the $2000 to $3000 range. However, if they had been attributed to Rogers by the auctioneers, they may have achieved $2500-$3500 each. Compared to auction values of, say $1300, achieved in the mid 1990's it seems they have increased at a reasonable rate for anyone who has held them as investment items. They are rarely available for retail sale, but if so, current retail asking values for unidentified sitters but well attributed to Rogers, would probably be in the order of $3000-$5000, with perhaps $6000-8,000 for an important sitter.

Restoration of the Nathaniel Rogers House in Bridgehampton NY is officially underway. The house was built for Rogers in 1842 and known as Hampton House. Its magnificence gives a idea of how important he was as an artist. The house has apparently suffered from deferred maintenance and so the restoration is welcome. These days, the price of the exterior stabilization will be $1.9 million, but that's just a drop in the ionic column compared to the renovation's total expected cost of $4.5 million. Of that sum, the historical society already has commitments of $2.2 million, including $1.1 million from Southampton Town over the next three years. Another $850,000 has come from private donors, and $250,000 from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The building has been listed on the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places.

It is intended to hold a major exhibition of his work in the house on completion. Successful and sympathetic restoration of the project may lead to a resurgence of interest in Rogers who, as with other miniature painters of the 19C and early 20C, has been much under-rated as an artist. The Project welcomes donations.

Nathaniel Rogers House Preservation Project

For those interested, there is an extensive article about Rogers at;

The Legacy of Nathaniel Rogers (1787-1844) Long Island Artist from ...

November - Susan Farington and Louisa Strobel

2010-11-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

Patient looking and diligent research means that it is still possible to find occasional bargains that other collectors have missed, although it requires previous study and a big dose of luck. A retentive memory helps!

Both of these two miniature portraits were very fortunate purchases, with an average cost of under USD300 at public auction, well below their real value.

The lady is Susan Mary Farington, the wife of the prominent Royal Academy artist, Joseph Farington, author of The Farington Diary, a rich resource for art historians. In its way the Diary is as important as the more famous Samuel Pepys Diary. Susan was painted in 1792, but died in 1800, childless and leaving Joseph devastated.

The artist is currently unknown, but given the number of prominent artists known to Farington and Susan's family connections (she was related to the Walpole family), it must be by one of the better artists of the late 18C.

For more about the portrait, click on View

The man is William George Bicknell, who was painted by his sister-in-law, one of very few early American female artists, Louisa Caroline Strobel (1806-1883) who learned to paint miniatures when her father was posted to France as a Consular official.

Researching Louisa has revealed that academic sources have the wrong second name for her, most suggesting it was Louisa Catherine Strobel, but her birth and christening records on the IGI show her middle name was Caroline. Her father was one of the first American diplomats, so the family had to return from Liverpool, England, the main Trans-Atlantic port for passengers, to the United States in 1812, when the United States declared war on Great Britain.

Miniatures by Louisa very rarely appear on the market, as most were of her family members and nearly all of those are now housed in the Metropolitan Museum and in the Gibbes Museum.

For more about the miniature click on; View

For those interested in Art and Antique blogs, here are a few to look at.
http://artfixdaily.com — A good place to start for top stories spanning topics ranging from record-setting auction results, to upcoming exhibitions and reviews.
http://rarevictorian.com — A blend of informative resource for Victorian furniture, furniture makers & forums.
http://youngantiquescollectors.blogspot.com — Addressing the issues we’re all thinking about–There must be young collectors out there, whether they know it now or not.
http://www.antiquestradegazette.com — International news on auctions, the art market, and trends.

Skinner Blog

Newel's Antique Blog

Rare Victorian

Antique Show Insider

Antique Trader Blog

Antique Prints Blog

Tall Tales from the Antiques Trail

October - Three additions to the collection

2010-11-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

Russell, Moses Baker - portrait of Josiah Quincy III

The previous owner of this American miniature portrait believed it to be of Josiah Quincy III (1772-1864), the second Mayor of Boston, prior to that a U.S. Representative for Boston in the U.S. Congress and later President of Harvard University, with Quincy Market being named after him.

It is an exceptionally fine character portrait by Moses B Russell (1809-1884). Russell worked in Boston for more than fifty years as a portraitist in both oils and miniatures. In 1839 he married Clarissa Peters, who has since become famous as the miniaturist Mrs M B Russell. For more about the miniature see View where there are also other examples of miniatures by M B Russell.

Unknown French Soldier with Decorations
This miniature portrait is of an unknown soldier. His name is unknown. The portrait is signed and dated 1915, but the signature is illegible. It appears to read something like "Augesety 1915", but I cannot find a similar name in Blattel. Any suggestions as to the name would be welcome.

I think he is French by the colour of his uniform. As he appears to have no rank badges, presumably he was only a private. If so, he is well decorated for a private. For more, see
Unknown - Decorated French soldier, 1915

Wax Miniature attributed to Curiger
This is a wax miniature portrait from around 1815-1820. It is unsigned and the sitter is unknown.

The portrait is well modelled and is very similar to portraits by members of the Curiger family of Switzerland. Their work is normally on a slate background, whereas this one is on paper. The family was very well known in the late 18C and early 19C, and there were seven of them who modelled in wax.

For more, see
Curiger - wax portrait of a man

September - Various

2010-10-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

Cracked miniatures
Many collectors are reluctant to acquire cracked miniatures because it is expensive to achieve an invisible repair. That is understandable if perfection is one's objective, but if instead one is interested in history, condition is not quite as important. Except for rare instances, only one version of a miniature exists and thus if an opportunity is passed up to acquire a damaged miniature, the opportunity is lost for ever. Obviously, damaged miniatures cost less and thus, the fun of historical research can be enjoyed and shared without great expense. For more about the history of this cracked miniature portrait see;

Unknown - portrait of Phebe Debevoise Ryerson

This recent acquisition is a most unusual miniature portrait bracelet of an older lady. It is painted in enamel on porcelain, which was an uncommon technique, especially in the mid 19C.

For more about it see;
Unknown - bracelet portrait of lady

There are two other miniature portrait bracelets in the collection, both with wrist bands made of human hair see;
Unknown - portrait of Christopher Wren
Unknown - portrait of lady in hair bracelet

Other
I noticed that Peggy McClard has posted some helpful information on American miniature painters who painted in a more primitive style at http://www.peggymcclard.com/aaa%20Folk%20Portrait%20Artists.htm

Also that Joan M Brownstein has listed a number of articles on American folk art portraiture and miniatures at http://www.americanfolkpaintings.com/

September - Miniature portraits and Ebook publishing

2010-09-11T00:26:00.000-07:00

For those interested, please see my latest post at;

--- Artists and Ancestors --- Miniature Portrait Art Collection

August - Ethel Frances Mundy - a wax portrait miniature

2010-09-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

[Apologies to followers who have been wondering why I have not posted recently. I did post this wax miniature portrait in the American 3 Gallery during August, but forgot to link it to 2009/2010 additions.]

As suggested previously, miniature portraits are a much under-rated art form. And within that category, even more under-rated, and even rarer, are miniature portraits in wax. The most famous American wax portrait artist was Patience Wright (1735-1793), but others included Johann Christopher Rauschner (1760-c1830) and Robert Ball Hughes (1806-1868). However, the art died well before Hughes' death, a victim of the daguerreotype.

This wax example is by the American artist Ethel Frances Munday (1876-1964) and is the only example by her I have ever seen. The image inside the frame is 15cm (6 ins) in diameter. It was sculpted in 1934 and the sitter is Katharine Morris Young. [to date I have been unable to better identify Katharine and would be grateful to anyone with knowledge of her. I also apologize that the preliminary image suffers badly from reflections and therefore does not convey the quality and detail of the work, and hope to substitute a better one]. At the top it is inscribed "Katharine Morris Young - MCMXXXIV" and at the bottom "ETHEL MUNDY FECIT".

Her technique involved taking a metal plate covered with a thin coating of wax, and outlining the subject in profile with a sharp point. Then slowly building up the figure with particles of beeswax tinted with various colours. The materials were not expensive, but her work was painstaking, so she only managed several commissions each year. I have a copy of a letter from her of November 29, 1928 seeking to arrange an exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery. In the letter she says her miniatures vary in size from four to nine inches in diameter and are best viewed with cross lighting.

Her work deserves to rank with the highest rank of 20C American miniature artists, such as Laura Coombs Hills and Eulabee Dix, but Mundy lacks that recognition as her work is so rare. It seems no major American museum has even a single portrait by her. As can be seen in the article which appeared in Popular Mechanics of April 1921, most of her works were of similar style, although she also made busts.

The complete item about Ethel Frances Mundy is at View

July - Rare miniature on porcelain and new information

2010-07-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

Miniatures on porcelain or marble

This miniature portrait is painted on a porcelain plaque by William Corden (1797-1867).

It was obtained at a local auction where a very large and valuable collection of early British porcelain was being sold. The collector had obviously acquired this one as it depicts one of the early Derby porcelain artists, Thomas Tatlow, who was painted by another early Derby porcelain artist, William Corden. However, the auction house did not realize this, so their catalogue missed the connection. To see examples of Tatlow's work see Corden, William - portrait of Thomas Tatlow

As such it is a rare example of this type of miniature, as most British miniature portraits were painted on ivory, with a few painted on other materials including on paper, card, or enamel on copper. In America they were also painted on milk glass, but I have not yet seen a British miniature on glass.

Miniatures in Britain which are painted on marble or on porcelain are quite unusual. There are two on marble in this collection, both painted by Thomas Heathfield Carrick (1802-1875) see View and View Also one other on porcelain by Michael Kean (1761-1823). Michael Kean became a junior partner, and later married the widow of the owner, of the famous Derby Porcelain Factory and so became the owner of the factory until 1811. Kean, Michael - portrait of Mrs Samuel Keys

New information
An interesting facet of collecting is finding new information about an artist or sitter. Changes are often made as a result of emailed information. Two recent examples are images of an important bust sculpted by John Tweed, and a kind correction of a name Macbean, which I had misread as Maclean. The information has been added to the descriptions of the two miniatures.

Clark, John Stewart - portrait of John Tweed

Firstly, A kind private collector has forwarded me images of a bust owned by the collector which was sculpted by John Tweed who I had discussed last year. The bust is inscribed; "" To Mon Ami Docteur Jamerson [sic]" Paris 97 John Tweed ".
Despite the spelling, this appears to relate to Dr Leander Starr Jameson and so this an important bust in the history of South Africa. More about Jameson can be seen at Dr Leander Starr Jameson

Deane, Erastus - portrait of Daniel Stewart

Secondly, At the top is a Colonel Macbean (I originally read this as Maclean, but a kind visitor has corrected me). As a result of this correction, it is possible to speculate on the officer's identity. It seems likely he was one of the Macbeans referred to in The Gentleman's Magazine of 1855;
"Gen Sir William Macbean KCB May 25 At Brompton aged 73. General Sir William Macbean KCB KTS, Colonel of the 92d Foot. Sir William was the son of Colonel Macbean of the 6th regiment, and grandson of Lieut General Macbean of the Royal Artillery. He was born at Southampton in 1782."

I think that his red coat suggests an infantry regiment, as I believe artillery regiments usually had blue coats. That could make him Colonel Macbean of the 6th regiment of foot.

July - Expanded research on recent additions

2010-07-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

A while ago I commented briefly on several new additions. They have now been added into their galleries with expanded comments. Click on the links to see more. The American ones include;

Malbone, Edward Greene - portrait of a lady

Sully, Lawrence - portrait of a young lady

Vallee - Portrait of a Young Man

Quinton - Portrait of a Young Lady

Staigg, Richard Morrell - portrait of a young lady

Pamelia Hill - portrait of a man

Exceptionally well painted is a French miniature from around 1900-1910. It is interesting to see how the artist has painted the reverse to improve the tonal qualities.
Bellet E - portrait of a lady

Follow this link to learn more about this following miniature,
Mee, Anne - portrait of Lady Carteret

It is another purchase of an identified sitter, where the resultant research has led to interesting aspects of history, even providing a link between Princess Charlotte of Wales and Princess Caraboo. It was a bargain buy, as it was not until it arrived that it became clear it was by Anne Mee (1775-1851), who is highly prized as one of the few early female miniaturists.

There were many female miniature painters in the late 19C and early 20C, but there were few in the early 19C. One who was popular at that time was Anne Mee, who was commissioned to paint miniature portraits by many of the aristocracy.

Née Anne Foldstone, she was the daughter of John Foldstone, a copyist of pictures, who died while quite young. Anne was educated at a French Lady’s school in London and had artistic gifts as a musician, poetess and painter. She was a protégée and pupil of Romney and is said to have supported her mother and eight brothers and sisters at a early age. She obtained the patronage of George IV (when Prince of Wales) and was working at Windsor Castle in 1790 and 1791. By 1804, Joseph Farrington recorded that she was asking as much as 40 guineas for a miniature.

June - Items of interest and more on Barratt fakes

2010-06-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

My home page contains a link to a Spanish collection of miniatures where the owner has recently posted a photo of a wall of his miniatures! It is most impressive and can be seen at Una colección española By my rough count there are around 200 miniatures displayed.

With the assistance of the same collector, I have been able to gather together some information about a fine Spanish artist about whom little is known.
I acquired this superb miniature of an unknown officer last year. It is signed "Brioso" and is either by Jose Brioso or Francisco Brioso.

Little is known of Brioso who was one of the leading Spanish miniaturists of the first half of the nineteenth century. He was born in Cadiz (Andalusia) and worked in Madrid during the reign of Isabel II. For more about Brioso, see Brioso, Jose or Francisco - portait of an officer

More information on some American portraits has been added at American 3 It includes another portrait by Richard Morrell Staigg, one attributed to Quinton, and one signed by Vallee. Vallee was trained in France, but emigrated to the United States, and this is a good example of how styles were transported across the Atlantic. Although not shown the case is a typical French ebonised case. Vallee would have sourced his frames from Europe prior to the passing of the Embargo Act.

Barratt type fakes

On several recent occasions, (see March and May 2010) I have warned about Barratt type modern fakes. As I feared they are now being offered in a manner designed to make buyers think they are genuine.

In the last week I have been sent these examples of "Barratt" type fakes being offered in England via eBay and via "bankrupt" auctions. One buyer paid about GBP20 each for two of them, believing they were genuine, but these fakes are worth only the value of the modern frames they are in, say GBP5 each.

Unfortunately, some have the Barratt label previously illustrated, and others have an exhibition label as showing here.

However, now I have drawn attention to them, I expect that the faker will change styles and other versions may be offered to unsuspecting buyers. Scrutiny under a magnifying glass should enable potential buyers to spot them as reproductions. There is little I can suggest other than for buyers to take care.

Other advice to new collectors
Here is a selection of other comments I have recently made to interested new collectors.
Thank you for your kind comments. I think your miniature is probably Dutch from around 1650. Prior to 1700 most British miniatures were watercolour on vellum, and most Dutch ones were oil on copper. I do not think the case is original, as the case looks to be an American one from the mid to late 19C. There is not much else I can add. I regret that I do not know enough of Dutch miniatures to be able to suggest an artist, but expect it is unlikely that you will be able to determine the artist as little is known about artists of the time.

Many thanks for your kind comments. I am glad you are starting to collect miniatures. You have started with a good one. Unfortunately I regret my knowledge of British artists is not good enough to easily narrow down the artist without a lot of research. The condition sounds to be good, with nothing to worry about. (It is a pity that sometimes too much reliance is placed on condition. Just for a moment, consider how few delicate items of any kind of over 200 years of age have lasted as well!)

Insofar as books about British miniatures and also a general background to the subject are concerned, the best one to start with, which is often available in libraries, is Daphne Foskett's 1987 Dictionary and Guide which has been reprinted many times. If you would like to buy a copy, see http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=foskett&kn=dictionary+and+guide&sts=t&tn=miniatures&x=64&y=9

If that is too expensive, her 1968 book covers much of the same ground, but without the dictionary section.see http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=foskett&sts=t&tn=british+miniatures&x=58&y=12
You can then decide whether to buy more reference books. While some reference books may seem expensive, if they lead to one good buy, (or save one mistake!) they can pay for themselves in connection with even just one purchase.

Apart from learning more useful information about miniatures, you would then be able to do what I do when faced with a similar situation, which is to go through all the illustrations in my various reference books, trying to pick the ones of a similar date, which are in a similar style and pose. Not all artists are illustrated, but after a while, you should start to pick out possible artists.

To help develop your confidence, it is a good idea to watch miniatures for sale on eBay and try to decide which are good ones. There is often competition there, so the final price will give a good idea of value for money, but even buying a few cheaper ones to study, will help you learn. After a while you will start to notice which sellers know what they are talking about, but many do not!

Otherwise, it depends which area you wish to collect, British, American, or European, as there are very few books which cover artists from all over the world. The two collections of French and Spanish miniatures are wonderful, but regretfully are not mine!

Fine British and European miniatures tend to be expensive, which was a major reason I decided to focus on American ones in the main; initially there was less competition and prices were lower. However, as few American artists had the professional training, the quality of their work is lower.

Specialist auctions are held several times per year by Sotheby's, Christie's and Bonhams. Also by several European auction houses. One thing that can become complicated when buying across the Atlantic, is CITES re ivory. Some auction houses are pedantic about that. If you are interested to buy example old auction catalogues, they are regularly offered for sale on eBay. Search for - miniature portrait catalogue - in the books category. In USA, Skinners and other auction houses often include miniatures in their American Art and/or Decorative Art sales.

I am very happy to try and answer your questions.

1 Yes, some miniatures were painted post mortem, either from daguerreotypes or direct from the deceased person. However, they are not common, and it can be hard to tell if they were post mortem.

See the following example by John Henry Brown (sorry for the poor image)
http://american-miniatures.blogspot.com/2006/04/brown-john-henry-portrait-of-mrs.html

and http://european-miniatures.blogspot.com/2006/04/decourcelle-jean-portrait-of-baby.html

Raphaelle Peale also refers to the practise in an advertisement of 1801;

"RAPHAELLE PEALE - having returned to Philadelphia after an absence of 18 months, will paint portraits for a short time at the following prices - Portraits in oils, $20, in miniature on ivory, $15, profiles colored on Ivory Paper, 3, Likeness after death, $50 - fifteen or twenty minutes with the deceased is all the time necessary to obtain means of having a faithful likeness." This is interesting in several respects; it indicates the charges made by Raphaelle Peale, it indicates that he was painting miniatures much later than reference literature generally states, and it also explains a little about the practice of painting portraits of deceased persons after their death.

2 It is hard to give you a brief explanation of how to distinguish between American, British, and European miniatures. The frames are often the first key. Some early American frames were similar to Irish frames, but many were imported from England into America. I believe American frames diverged in style from British frames as a result of the Embargo Act. I tried to explain my theory on this at http://new-additions.blogspot.com/2008/08/august-embargo-act-of-1807-and-19c.html

Many European miniatures were round, but this is rare in America or Britain. Watercolour was rare in Europe, gouache or body colour being more common. European trained artists working in America often brought their techniques with them. If you have the time to go through my online "galleries" it may help. Showing in my collection, I have about 350 American miniatures, many of mediocre quality, but interesting for their frames. About 300 British, and over 200 European. Thus, if you have time to go through them, that number of examples may allow you to sense the different styles. But I am happy to answer questions on specific miniatures, if it would help?

3 Personally, I believe miniatures are entrancing, and the most under-rated aspect of fine art collecting, for several reasons.
a - The skill of the artists is fascinating when viewed under a magnifying glass, and one can accumulate an comprehensive collection which takes up only a small space.

b - I feel there is no other way an ordinary person can afford to buy original paintings by 18C and 19C artists whose work hangs in major museums of the world, such as the Met, Smithsonian, V&A, Louvre, Hermitage, Albertina etc. and in the major Royal collections. As an example, I have very limited resources compared to wealthy miniature collectors, but still have been fortunate to gradually accumulate original works by artists represented in those and other collections. Nearly all the miniatures I have, were purchased over the last ten years on eBay, or eBay live auctions until they ceased. However, these days it is a lot harder to find a bargain on eBay, as there is now so much knowledgeable competition!!

c But probably for me, the best aspect is the research into named sitters, which is often absolutely fascinating. Starting with just a name and recreating a life of a forgotten person, some of whom turn out to be famous. I an often stunned by where the research leads, and I learn a lot of history in the process. Some American examples that were absorbing, are;
http://aminports3.blogspot.com/2009/01/unknown-portrait-of-john-shubael-bell.html
http://american-miniatures.blogspot.com/2006/04/rogers-nathaniel-portrait-of-anne.html
http://american-miniatures.blogspot.com/2006/04/jarvis-john-wesley-portrait-of.html
http://american-miniatures.blogspot.com/2006/04/unknown-portrait-of-aaron-burr.html

However, the very best example would have to be Sir Anthony Carlisle, which has led me into the centre of an international medical controversy, see http://therealmrfrankenstein.blogspot.com/ I had never heard of Carlisle when I bought the miniature, but researching his life has uncovered a new view of medical history, including discovering a portrait of Jan van Rymsdyk, who drew most of the illustrations for the famous 18C anatomical atlases of William Smellie and William Hunter.

I hope it will be obvious that to me, portraits have landscapes and modern art beat by miles! I hope that helps, but feel free to ask more questions. But, if you get hooked, you may find it hard to stop!

June - Is the casework original?

2010-06-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

A recent question to me from a collector, raised the issue of changing frames for portraits. The writer raised it in the context of;
"Your just added new comments on your blog site regarding fake and replica miniatures currently on eBay. The comments are very interesting and helpful. Many of your comments have been about both eBay and auction houses and I have a question about professional miniature dealers.

Fall of last year a UK miniature dealer purchased a piece from eBay. It was of an Edwardian Lady. I found it interesting because I was just beginning to understand photo base portraits. Several months later the UK dealer listed the miniature on the seller's website.

The seller just had a picture of the front so I requested one of the back. During the original eBay listing I downloaded pictures of both the front and back. I asked the professional dealer to send a photo of the back because of questions I had about that dealer's previous practices. The picture sent to me showed a hair memento under glass. When it was listed on eBay there was no hair memento. Comparing the original eBay ad picture and the UK dealer's picture it was the same mount and backing material, but the hair was a new addition. I asked the dealer if the hair art was original and was told it was, but remember the original eBay ad photo shows no such hair memento in the back. It shows just a white backing material.

It is not an uncommon practice for professional dealers to obtain a miniature and have work done on it. Cleaning, fumigating and even remounting is common. But is adding something like a hair momento an accepted practice? I have always considered hair art to be very personal to the sitter. To add hair from who knows where strikes me as quite disrespectful To hide this fact is less than ethical to me.

Two months ago the miniature sold. I would assume the buyer is thinking the hair is original and so unique to the miniature. So what is your opinion of this situation? I have discussed it with only one other collector who has bought from this dealer. She was not impressed with the practice.

I should say in defense of professional dealers, I have usually found when specifically asked they will honestly describe any work and/or restoration to the piece. Of course none of them have added "new" hair art to a piece."

My reply to the collector was as follows;
"Regarding casework, I agree with you, it is completely wrong and also disrespectful to add or remove hair-work. However, I fear it is quite common among dealers. One other reason I disagree is that one day in the future, I hope it may even be possible to identify unknown sitters by the DNA in the hair contained in a miniature!!

I think that dealers who alter miniatures in the way you say are doing themselves a disservice, as they risk their reputations and discourage potential buyers who notice the change. I guess whether a miniature is kept in original frame etc. shows the difference between a collector and a dealer!!

A similar thing I disapprove of, is families who deliberately remove the name of the sitter, when selling an ancestor out of their family, so they become just another unknown sitter. I feel that is like destroying a gravestone!"

Unfortunately, there is little that can be done about this, as some dealers tend to regard miniatures as merchandise to be sold at the best price. That being their object in being in business, can be seen as commercially logical, and indeed, I know some collectors do not mind if a case has been changed.

However, my personal view is more akin to that of a museum. I like the beauty of miniatures, but to me the history is of vital social importance. The original case is part of the artwork and to change it destroys part of the original artwork. In rare cases it may be unavoidable, but to change hair-work from one portrait to another is particularly heinous in my mind, as it prevents any future possibility of identifying an unknown sitter from the DNA in the hair. That is not currently possible, but given the speed of research, it may become possible in future years.

May - Fakes and items of interest

2010-05-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Fakes, misleading descriptions, and etc.
I must again advise buyers on eBay to be cautious with their money.

Wrong Williams
The first pair of miniature portrait were described as by Alyn Williams (1865-1941), but are not by him, so sold for under $200. They were described as; "Pair of Miniature Portraits," c. 1900, of a lady and gentleman, on ivory, in matching relief decorated brass frames, H.- 4 3/8 in., W.- 3 in. "(Alyn Williams was) one of the most successful miniature painters at the turn-of-the century, Alyn Williams was born in Wales and spent his career in Washington DC and England. (H)e was a student at the Slade School of Art in London and in Paris at the Academy Julian with Jean Paul Laurens and Benjamin Constant. He was a member of the Royal Society of Miniature Painters and exhibited at the Royal Academy in London. Portrait subjects included King Edward VII, Queen Mary, Cardinal Garquet, Italian Premier Benito Mussolini, and American Presidents William Howard Taft and Calvin Coolidge. Many of his portraits are in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC."

Not a revolutionary hero
This was described as "AMERICAN REVOLUTION SOLDIER MINIATURE OIL PAINTING c1800 This auction features an Antique Miniature Oval Oil Painting of an American Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonial. Executed with outstanding detail, it measures 3-1/2" X 2-3/4" and is inscribed verso; Lieutenant Colonial Elliot O. H. 1800."

However, the reverse does not say O H, it is Q H, for Queen's Hussars, thus apart from being too recent for the Revolutionary War, the soldier was British not American. Hence the buyer who bid $560, paid far too much and was mislead.

Not by Raphaelle Peale
This miniature was offered by the same vendor with a start price of $95 as by an unknown artist, but the seller canceled the listing and relisted it as by Raphaelle Peale with an opening price of $795. "In this auction we are offering an Antique Miniature Portrait Oil Painting of a Gentlemen, attributed to the American Philadelphia Listed Artist; Raphaelle Peale (1774-1825), circa turn of the 18th century. Measuring 2-3/4" x 2-1/4" and painted with outstanding detail and quality exhibited by this important artist. The reverse is carefully packed with the subjects hair." It then sold for $825, more than double its value, as it is British and not by Peale. A real Peale would have sold for over $2000.

A fake Barrett
Last March at View I expressed concern about modern fakes with a Barrett label on the reverse. I need to congratulate the eBay seller lordtrulock . He innocently offered this fake Barrett which he had bought at an local auction. Bidding reached £40 when I sent him an email pointing out it was a fake.

He therefore willingly withdrew it an reoffered it as a "genuine fake" as seen in the exploded image, with the description "A FAKE miniature portrait of a Gentleman, purporting to be by BARRETT of Holborn Bars, London, so supposedly painted in the mid-1800s. The frame's not too bad, quite nice, really. But the portrait is on a thin sheet of PLASTIC which was stuck to the flat piece of glass with SELLOTAPE. The trade label on the backing paper is a doctored copy of the white label in Pic 3. See the mark on each between the R and E of Barrett? Completely identical. The mark on the fake being the patch you get on photocopying the hole in the Original. The white label, by the way, is the label on the reverse of Barrett's GENUINE profile portrait of INSULL BURMAN. So, anybody want a fake? FAKE - FAKE - FAKE - FAKE - FAKE - FAKE - FAKE. (Just in case anybody reading this isn't sure) FAKE - FAKE - FAKE - FAKE."

I was an innocent party to the fraud, as you can see the maker of the fake had copied the Barrett trade label from an image on my website at 2 British Miniature Portraits: Barret(t) - profile of Insull Burman

A high price
I confess that I was surprised by the price achieved for this miniature $3300.

It is certainly well painted, but initially I could not pick the artist.

One possibility is the American artist, Edward Greene Malbone (1777-1807), but I tended to doubt it was by him. Joseph Wood (1778-1830) is the most likely, and Dale Johnson noted that the work of Wood and Malbone is often confused.

[Later, opinion seems to confirm that it is by Joseph Wood. Showing here is one of several portraits attributed to Joseph Wood which are in this collection. This one with a sky background, which is of Eleutheros Dana Comstock, certainly has a very similar pose and position on the ivory.]

One interesting thing about the portrait is the framing. It can be seen below that it is in a French black, ebonised, frame of the wrong size and a fillet has been needed. These frames are believed to have been introduced about 1810.

This all tends to suggest the portrait was framed in America after 1808 when the Embargo Act was in force and it was very difficult to obtain frames from Europe. This dating seems confirmed by Dale Johnson's comment that "Later works by Wood ... the backgrounds are somewhat darker".

I discussed this interesting situation at 2008 - Additions and Comment: Case study - The Embargo Act of 1807 ... Apart from the examples shown there I have a number of other miniatures with 'make-do' frames from the period. The overall subject would be an interesting one for an American museum to focus on as an exhibition.

Nathaniel Rogers
Although the vendor did not know who the artist was for this American miniature, a couple of the buyers had suspicions, as it sold for $1200. It was inscribed "taken in Boston is 1798", but in my opinion, it dates later than that. I think the hairstyle, sideburns, and neck-wear date closer to 1815-1820.

It appears to have been re-framed, as the frame is post 1850, whereas the miniature appears to be an earlier work of around 1820 by Nathaniel Rogers. However, as the quality is not up to his best standard, it may even be a period copy of a miniature portrait by Nathaniel Rogers. Period copies were made when several branches of a family wanted their own copy of an ancestral portrait. There are several miniatures by Nathaniel Rogers in this collection. The Nathaniel Rogers House is intending to have an exhibition of his work in 2012.

[Later, expert opinion has suggested that it is by William Lovett, (1773-1801). That fits with the 1798 inscription, but I still feel it was painted after Lovett died. In any event it is American and is nicely painted. The varying views tend to demonstrate something that most collectors would agree with, i.e. that attributions are an inexact science!]

A damaged miniature
Here is a good example of a miniature which sold for a good price considering the condition and the appearance of the sitter. It has a bad crack on the left but still sold for $413.

I think the reason for the good price was that it was painted by Marie Preble, a Scottish artist who worked in Paris and was friendly with the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

Modern wax miniatures
Currently for sale on eBay with an opening price of $575, and wrongly described is this pair of wax miniatures. The vendor stating; "A rare pair of 19th century portrait miniatures superbly rendered in two colors of wax and housed in an ebonised and gilt frames. Notice the incredible detail, especially the woman's hair, roses and ribbon, and the man's ruffled shirt."

I think they are late 20C copies by the British artist Leslie Ray, who made quite a number of decorative copies including some of American subjects.

In July 2009 Bonhams sold a collection of nine wax miniatures by Ray for £70, about $10 each.

A fake Cosway
Currently for sale on eBay and described as "A very nice Richard Cosway (1742-1821) English, miniature watercolour on card entitled "Portrait of a Lady", 3.125" x 2.5" image, in a period frame, excellent condition." is this fake miniature of a young lady, which is inviting an opening bid of $1999.

Needless to say it is nothing like the work of Cosway.

Thus again, please be careful how you spend your hard-earned money.

[As a personal 'plug' if you find my blog helpful in saving you from buying fakes, I would be very grateful to anyone willing to help defray my costs by buying a copy of my ebook for only £9.99! See The Real Mr Frankenstein]

April - Recent sales noted

2010-03-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

Several items recently sold on eBay merit a little comment. One was an enamel on copper miniature by Henry Pierce Bone. It was described as a portrait of Charles Robert Webber, who died only four months after his birth. The miniature was probably painted post mortem. As an indication of how values can go up and then fall, it appears the miniature was purchased in 2004 for £2234 ($4133). Then offered at Bonhams with an estimate of £1000-1500 ($1800-2600) in 2008, where it was unsold and finally sold on eBay in 2010 for $1545, which was quite cheap for a miniature by HP Bone.

An item I was suspicious of was offered for $500, although then removed from sale, but is still worthy of note. It was said to be "Irish - Frederick Buck 1771-1840 Portrait of a young Ensign Fernhough circa 1800 of the 92nd Highlanders by the Irish miniaturist Frederick Buck. Oil on wooden panel in ormolu oval frame. Signed F.Buck on painting and reverse in ink." However the quality was not good enough even for Buck, who was not noted for his skill, and at best was an amateur copy of a Buck miniature. It shows that care needs to be taken even if a miniature is claimed to be signed.

A couple of profiles (one showing) by James Gillespie, although not attributed to him sold for $340 each. And an unusual wax miniature of Napoleon sold for only $123.

A quite high price was paid for a very nice miniature of a British officer, Major James Scott, $3000.

A tiny miniature of a man on the reverse of a brooch, one of the smallest I have ever seen, sold for £228. The brooch was 2.5 cm x 2 cm, the front containing a lock of platted hair under glass surrounded by seed pearls, the miniature itself being around 1.25 cm x 1.5 cm.

Another loss was suffered on a miniature by John Smart Junior, son of the famous John Smart, and his stylistic likeness can be seen. It was clearly signed "J. S. J. 1802". The miniature was of Louise Adélaïde de Bourbon, Abbess of Remiremont (Chantilly October 5, 1757 - Paris March 10, 1824) She was the last Remiremont abbess, and founded at the beginning of the Bourbon Restoration a religious community that became famous among French Catholics under the name of Bénédictines de la rue Monsieur. The miniature previously sold for $5745 in Paris in 2007, but when offered on eBay in 2010 only realised $1715, quite a bargain.

March - Horace Walpole on Samuel Cooper

2010-03-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

Regular readers will be aware of my ebook about Sir Anthony Carlisle. Research for this has been fascinating and concentrates upon 18C medical and social literature. If any reader has an interest in 18C or 19C history, I would love them to read it. However, during ongoing research, it is easy to get distracted by other social comment, such as a letter about miniature painting written by Horace Walpole (a distant cousin of Carlisle's wife).

Walpole's letter below, written to The London Magazine in February 1764, is the origin of a famous quotation, "If a glass could expand Cooper's pictures to the size of Vandyck's, they would appear to have been painted for that proportion."

"Strictures on the Merit of Cooper, a Miniature Painter in the Reign 0f Char. II and on the Characters of Oliver Cromwell, and the Earl of Strafford. By Mr Walpole
Samuel Cooper owed great part of his merit to the works of Vandyck, and yet may be called an original genius; as he was the first who gave the strength and freedom of oil to miniature. The works of (Oliver a contemporary miniature painter) are touched and retouched with such careful fidelity, that you cannot help perceiving they are nature in the abstract; Cooper's are so bold that they seem perfect nature, only of a less standard. Magnify the former, they are still diminutively conceived. If a glass could expand Cooper's pictures to the size of Vandyck's, they would appear to have been painted for that proportion. If his portrait of Cromwell could be so enlarged, I don't know but Vandyck would appear less great by the comparison. To make it fairly, one must not measure the Fleming by his most admired piece, cardinal Bentivoglio. The quick finesse of eye in a florid Italian writer was not a subject equal to the protector: but it would be an amusing trial to balance Cooper's Oliver and Vandyck's lord Stratford. To trace the lineaments of equal ambition, equal intrepidity, equal art, equal presumption, and to compare the skill of the masters in representing the one exalted to the height of his hopes, yet perplexed with a command he could scarce hold, did not dare to relinquish, and yet dared to exert; the other dashed in his career, willing to avoid the precipice, searching all the recesses of so great a soul, to break his fall, and yet ready to mount the scaffold with more dignity than the other ascended the throne. This parallel is not a picture drawn by fancy; if the artists had worked in competition, they could not have approached nigher to the points of view in which I have traced the characters of their heroes.

Cooper with so much merit had two defects. His skill was confined to a mere head; his drawing even of the neck and shoulders so incorrect and untoward, that it seems to account for the numbers of his works unfinished. It looks as if he was sensible how small a way his talent extended. This very poverty accounts for the other, his want of grace. A signal deficiency in a painter of portraits, yet how seldom possessed. Bounded as their province is to a few tame attitudes, how grace atones for want of action! Cooper, content, like his countrymen, with the good fense of truth, neglected to make truth engaging. Grace in painting seems peculiar to Italy. The Flemings and the French run into opposite extremes. The first never approach the line, the latter exceed it, and catch at most but a lesser species of it, the genteel, which if I were to define I should call the familiar grace, as grace seems an amiable degree of majesty. Cooper's women, like his model Vandyck's, are seldom very handsome. It is Lely alone that excuses the galantries of Charles II. He painted an apology for that Asiatic court.

Cooper died in London in 1672, aged 63."

March - A New Book, and Some Modern Fakes

2010-03-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

A New Book about Rosalba Carriera
Bernardo Falconi has kindly advised me of a recent publication about Rosalba Carriera (1673-1757) which is based upon an exhibition in 2007 in Venice. She is generally regarded as being one of the first miniature painters to paint miniatures on ivory. Previously they were usually painted on vellum or on copper.

Bernardo also advises;
"I’m writing to let you know that at the end of 2009 the Giorgio Cini Foundation has published the book of the proceedings of the Conference held at the Giorgio Cini Foundation, Venice, and in Chioggia in the spring of 2007, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the death of Rosalba Carriera (1757-2007), where, among 16 interesting texts by different authors on various aspects of her life, there is also the one of mine (p215-236) dedicated to Rosalba Carriers and the miniature on ivory. As you know an abstract in the French language of my text was published in connection with the report of the Chantilly international meeting La Miniature en Europe, and a longer one in German in the book Miniaturen des Rokoko aus der Sammlung Tansey (both in 2008). This book is the original, longer and complete version, in Italian, and with 387 pages."

The book is very comprehensive. Its publication is welcomed as a further indication of increased scholarly interest in miniature portraits, and will be another required purchase for serious collectors, and those museums with works by Carriera in their collections. There is more information about the book at Fondazione Cini

There is one miniature in this collection which had been attributed to Rosalba Carriera, see Carriera, Rosalba - portrait of a girl However, as an example of how difficult attributions are, even for experts, a new opinion doubts the previous attribution;
"About your miniature attributed to Rosalba Carriera, I agree that it is clearly connected with her wide production of miniatures representing young charming peasant girls, but, I think that – independently of the bad conservation and/or retouches - it is not by her, for, it does not have the quality of her works, not only in the use of colour, but in drawing too. As you know, the enormous success of Rosalba’s miniatures among the International connoisseurs (above all French, English and German) of the Grand Tour, from the beginning of the XVIIIth Century, caused not only the adoption of the ivory in Europe as a medium to paint in miniature instead of vellum, but also a wide production of copies and miniatures inspired to her works. Both the Carriera’s sisters, Angela and Giovanna, such as her many pupils, painted copies of her miniatures, but I think that your miniature was not painted by an artist working strictly beside Rosalba."

Modern Fakes
In recent months I have become increasingly concerned about reproduction miniatures being offered on Ebay by sellers in Britain at opening prices of around £10-£25.

The sellers do say that they are selling reproductions, but what I feared is now starting to happen. Unscrupulous buyers are re-offering the miniatures on eBay and at other places without advising that they are reproductions.

I see this as a major problem for new and even for some advanced collectors who buy miniatures based upon a picture only. There is not a lot I can do other than express caution. These two examples have just been sent to me where this has happened.

The purchaser has been kind enough to permit me to show them here as a warning to other collectors and has advised me as follows; "The photos looked rather convincing, but when the miniatures arrived I immediately had doubts about the frames & the labels. Also, there's a small plate of glass attached between the frame and the miniature, which I find rather surprising. My doubts were proven right -I fear- when I noticed that the same seller offered another Gillespie miniature in exactly the same frame, with cracks and dirt on precisely the same places."

The characteristics of the fakes are high quality subjects by famous artists, presumably photo-copied from a catalogue, although I do not know which catalogue. These two examples have a fake label of James Gillespie on the rear. I understand others have a similar fake label of Barrett, marked "Barret Miniature and portrait painter, Holborn Bars, London". The fake works are nothing like those of Gillespie and Barrett, of which there are genuine examples in this collection available for comparison purposes.

One of the sellers on eBay is maxw1664 but I think there are others. Some points are obvious, in that genuine miniatures would not be in the white imitation piano-key type frame, but the frame of the man is harder to pick. Also showing is another modern fake of a lady in a red dress, which may be from the same source, but which is not described as a reproduction.

The man is an example of what is being offered on eBay with a starting price of £10.00 and is described as "Facsimile portrait miniature of a naval officer in a traditional acorn hanger frame with brass fittings and convex glass. The frame and fittings have been slightly "distressed" to give a more authentic "antiqued" finish. Overall size 125 x 150mm. The image is a true copy of an original portrait miniature, printed unto paper".

All I can suggest is that you be very careful and seek a guarantee from the seller.

March - Current news and Augustin Exhibition

2010-03-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

Sales in the Online Market

This attractive mourning miniature sold for $1204, which seemed a modest price compared for how these items often sell for. The rear inscription reads "In Death Lamented, as in Life Belov'd". I believe it is American and quite rare.

This early 20C miniature portrait of an unknown lady sold for $381, a very reasonable price for the well regarded artist, Rebecca Newbold Van Trump.

She was born in Philadelphia, PA and studied in at the PAFA; Académie Julian, and in Paris with T. Robert-Fleury and Boulanger; also A. Mollin, Corot & Courtois in Paris. She exhibited: PAFA Ann., 1879-1903 (12 times); Paris Salon, 1893; Phila. AC, 1898; Columbian Expo, Chicago, 1893; AIC. As is so often the case, it is a pity the sitter is unknown.

The mid 19C miniature of a young lady is an interesting example for people who worry about buying cracked miniatures. I could not pick the artist, but it sold for $263 after bidding by several people. That shows cracked miniatures are collectible.

French Exhibition
For anyone lucky enough to be in France in the spring, there is an Exhibition of miniature portraits by the famous French artist Jean Baptiste Jacques Augustin in his home town of Saint Die de Vosges.

The exhibition will be in the Museum Pierre Noel and runs from 17 April 2010 - 20 June 2010.

Bernd Pappe who has written most of the wonderful catalogues of the Tansey Collection has also written this exhibition catalogue.

Bernd kindly advises me that;
The exhibition will be but small, with about 80 works exhibited. There are many prestigious works lent by the Louvre and the Napoleon foundation in Paris. Other museum lenders are the musée Cognacq-Jay, Paris, the musée Antoine Lécuyer, Saint-Quentin, the Musée Lorrain, Nancy; private lenders come from France, Belgium and Germany (Tansey foundation, Celle). The exhibition is in big part dedicated to Augustin, a small part shows works by Pauline Augustin, Augustin Dubourg and "Augustin fils / neveu" all from the Augustin family. The catalogue (written by Bernd himself), 96 pages, shows all exhibits in colour. It includes a main article on Augustin, but reveals also the hitherto unknown identities of Augustin Dubourg and "Augustin fils / neveu".

Fakes
Collectors still need to be careful of buying fakes, or miniatures with false signatures.

This miniature is currently for sale on eBay for $6000 and claims to be by Thomas Sully (1783-1872), the well regarded American artist.

However, I seriously doubt that. The quality of the miniature looks to be too poor for such a well known artist; also the writing looks to be too fresh, and seems modern in style.

I do not think a serious collector will be fooled, but it shows that new collectors need to be very careful about their purchases, until such time as they have built up some personal knowledge on the subject.

In this case it is quite probable the seller is not aware of doubts about the signature, which could have been added any time in the last 30 years.

February - That book again!

2010-02-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

The miniature portrait of Sir Anthony Carlisle has currently taken over!

My paper in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine has been published and is attracting great interest.

The UK Sunday Observer featured it on page 3 as shown here.

I am busy fielding interview requests from all over the world and have been contacted for a possible TV documentary.

There is more at http://therealmrfrankenstein.blogspot.com/

February - One has to have a sense of humour!

2010-02-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

A sense of humor
One has to retain sense of humor when visiting eBay! I am surprised none of my regular visitors have been clamoring to buy these two silhouettes of Admiral Lord Nelson. They have been advertised for several days at the bargain price of only £5,000,000 each ($8,000,000). For that price, one would expect free shipping, but no, there is an additional £60 each for shipping, not even an indication shipping can be combined! For those tempted, the item numbers are 290391643807 and 290391641768 - As one might expect they are offered by a seller named 'Jake_The_ Snake' which I guess says it all!

For those without $16,000,000 to spare, how about this 'bargain' at only $18,000. It is item 130303058653 and described as;
"THIS IS A MAGNIFICENT WATERCOLOR MINIATURE PAINTING ON IVORY BY WORLD CZECHOSLOVAKIAN LISTED ARTIST FRANZ MASCHEK 1797-1862 SHOWING A PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG PRETTY LADY IN A FORMAL DRESS SIGNED ON THE MIDDLE RIGHT."

The seller lives in Brentwood, CA, but how they arrive at such a ridiculous price is beyond me.

On a more serious note
I was asked this question;
"I have noticed quite a few Edwardian miniatures have very light colors to the point of looking faded. When I ask eBay sellers they usually tell me the light colors are a style of the period. Because many miniature paintings of that period are done in watercolors I am inclined to question that explanation and just consider the light colors fading. Books about portrait miniatures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) always explains watercolors are fragile and subject to fading. So was it an Edwardian portrait miniature style to paint very lightly or is it usually fading? Would light colors in most watercolor miniatures be the result of fading?"

My reply was; "It is hard to generalize, but as with other things they are a product of their social surroundings. Fading can be an issue, but one also needs to remember what paint was available. Early artists had to grind their own natural pigments so colours are more limited. As a greater range of artificial colours emerged, some paintings became more delicate. Also, early 19C artists were mainly men, and early 20C were mainly women who preferred a paler palette. Early 20C miniatures with a photographic base needed less paint than those painted from scratch, so that can make them appear paler."

To a separate question about early 20C photo-based miniatures I replied; "I sometimes have great difficulty in deciding whether there is a photo base with 20C miniatures, as with yours. As a result, I tend to view them from what I can see in terms of the painter's skill, and do not disregard them just because they might have a photo base. Whereas if the base is obvious, I am not as keen on them. I recognise many artists of large paintings used various kinds of aids, such as grid-lines, projected images, or tracings. Thus I think miniature painters who have fully covered the base so it is not obvious, can fairly be judged as if there is no photo base. Thus I would not get too worried about the possible base and enjoy it as it is. 20C miniatures can be painted on ivorine, which is a celluloid material, but most are on ivory. As an example, at http://american-miniatures20c.blogspot.com/search?q=quivey there are five miniatures by one artist. Two and four are definite photo bases, one and five may be, but I think three is not. However, I like them all as different examples by one artist."

January 2010 - Mainly American miniatures

2009-12-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

Provenance
Provenance is a major factor in considering the value of collectible items, including miniature portraits. A good example of this are two identical miniature portraits of George Washington. The Maine Antique Digest reported that a 2 5/8" high miniature portrait in enamel by William Russell Birch (1755-1834) sold for $38,513 to miniature paintings specialist Elle Shushan of Philadelphia.

Skinners were the auctioneers, and the item recently sold reminded me of an identical version I wrote about a couple of years ago. That was sold at auction for about $110,000. The only difference between the two being the provenance, as the more expensive one had belonged to one of the doctors who attended Washington at his deathbed.

Sites about miniatures.
When this blog started there were very few sites where miniature portraits could be seen, and few references to them. Gradually, it seems more interest is occurring, which is only right given their importance in terms of skill, personal history, and the social history of hair and costume styles. I have noticed a good selection on display at World in Miniature They have been on display for some months, but I only recently became aware of the site. Another site is in Polish, but the images are nice, see Miniature portraits However, Google can translate the gist of the comments and the home page of the website has links to a number of museum collections of miniatures, including
Another site with very high quality miniatures is A Private Portrait Miniature Collection The owners of the latter collection are interested in forming a Portrait Miniature Club.

Taken with other important collections such as those of the various Royal families, and major public collections in Russia, Sweden, America, Italy, the British NPG, the Scottish NPG, and the Albertina in Austria makes one realize there must be at least 100,000 portrait miniatures in existence. That is an amazing social treasure, especially when one considers the average age of each individual miniature is likely to be about 200 years, many sitters are known, and they are mostly in pristine condition.

New Metropolitan Catalogue
As I expect most collectors are aware the Metropolitan Museum has just issued a new catalogue. I do not have a copy, but was intrigued to see a miniature portrait on the front cover which I was the under-bidder on about five years ago. It is an attractive portrait of a lady jointly signed by Inman and Cummings. It was offered on eBay by a seller who could not read the signature. However, I could and realised who the artists were and how rare it was. Thus, I bid more than I could afford at $3250, but it was bought by the premier expert on American miniatures for $3300, who then obviously on-sold it to the Metropolitan Museum.

An article at Portrait miniatures from the Met debut at the Winter Antiques Show - Current & Coming - The Magazine Antiques shows several miniatures from the collection, including another one I was sadly the under-bidder on which was sold in late 2007. It is a miniature by Mira Edgerly Korzybska and of the Dodge children. I cannot remember the price exactly, but think it was about $1800. However, it was not too disappointing, as there is already a much larger miniature by her in this collection, showing here and for more about it, see
20C - American Miniature Portraits: Korzybska, Mira Edgerly ...

Although missing out on those two portraits, it is some consolation to know I was bidding on what turned out to be "museum quality" items!

American miniatures
Every week I am asked about miniature portraits. Many are decorative miniatures, but there are also many nice miniatures of real sitters and I am often asked whether they should be sold. When they still belong to a descendant I always recommend they should stay within a family, as with most of the examples shown here, which are some of those I have been asked about recently.

There are three by John Carlin of one family, a fine one by Thomas Story Officer, a magnificent one by Carl Weinedel in a very rare case marked with his name, and one of John Henry Hobart which I think is by William Russell Birch. There is also one by Robert Field.

December - Some additions

2009-12-18T15:05:00.000-08:00

Many thanks for the festive wishes from various people. They are warmly reciprocated!

Some people ask me about buying damaged miniatures, and I have commented on the reasons for and against such purchases in previous posts. Showing here is an example of a damaged miniature I was willing to buy. As can be seen it is rubbed at the top left. That is repairable, although I will probably leave it as is, in the meantime. The reasons for buying it were that it has three pluses; it is of a man in uniform, the sitter is important - as he is Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria, and it was painted by a highly regarded artist - Robert Theer. In this case, the restored value would be much greater than the cost of the miniature, inclusive of the cost of restoration.

I expect most miniature portrait collectors were aware of the Dennis Auctions sale in September. They had a most interesting collection of miniatures, I understand mainly collected prior to WWII. There were nearly 500 miniatures, with an amazing mixture of styles. Many European decorative, many tourist pieces from the time of the British Raj in India, a number of European and British miniatures, and nearly 100 American miniatures. Having been collected so long ago, when there were few reference books available, there was very mixed scholarship in the attributions of unsigned miniatures.

There were many, that I would have liked to have bid for (had money been permitting!!), and if I had lived closer, I would have certainly attended the sale. It is always difficult to buy remotely, even though a kind lady who attended the auction did look at some for me, which was very helpful. In the end I left absentee bids on twenty lots, mostly with low bids, thinking that was as much as I could afford to spend, and got seven of them.

I skipped bidding most of the obvious artists, as I thought prices would be higher on them, and instead went more for unattributed, or wrongly attributed artists. However, by being absent, I missed many bargains. I think the auctioneers did their client a dis-service by auctioning so many at once. While it was great for buyers, prices would have been higher, if the lots had been spread over, say, three separate auctions. Nevertheless, I was overall very happy with the lots I won. Five are American, one is British, and one is Spanish.

Firstly, the Spanish one is of an officer in a blue coat by Brioso. All that Blattel says of F Brioso is that he was active 1835-1865, but from this example he must have been painting for quite some years before that, or else it is by a previously unrecorded artist, also named Brioso. The quality is very good (click on the image to see it better), and his style is similar to Domenico Bossi.

[Later - I have been kindly advised by a Spanish collector that José Brioso is one of the leading Spanish miniaturists of the first half of the nineteenth century. Little is known of his life. He was born in Cadiz (Andalusia) and worked in Madrid during the reign of Isabel II. In 2009 a Spanish auction house sold the portrait of a lady, signed and dated 1845.] It is not clear whether F Brioso and José Brioso are the same person, but it does seem works by Brioso are rare.

Next to him is a portrait of Lady Carteret. I did not realise until I inspected it on arrival, that it is by the well regarded British artist, Anne Mee. The young girl in a white dress was also unattributed, but I was, and am still, fairly confident it is by the American artist - Lawrence Sully. His miniatures tend to be fairly primitive in style.

Miniatures by three American artists are in the next group. The young lady was attributed to Quinton an American artist, who was active in the early 19C. It is dated 1828 on the reverse, and signed on the front, although that may be a later addition. Thus, I am not confident of the attribution. The central one of a man in a blue coat does have a crack, but is well signed and by the uncommon American artist, Jean Francois Vallee who was active 1785-1826. This is a case where the damage is not too obvious, and the miniature provides a good example of Vallee's work and signature. The third miniature in the row was the most disappointing purchase. The auction catalogue said it was signed at lower left Mauvais for the rare American artist A Mauvais, but I have not been able to locate a signature.

The seventh miniature was the one I was most keen to acquire. It has a label on the reverse attributing it to the American artist, Tisdale. However, I doubted that straight away. Instead believing it was by the premier American artist, Edward Green Malbone. This was due to its similarity to many other miniatures by Malbone. I have shown the detail of my argument and the other similar examples at Malbone, Edward Greene - portrait of a lady

If the attribution is correct, it was the "sleeper" of the sale, and its true value means that the other six miniatures from the auction, including the Anne Mee, were effectively acquired for nothing. This illustrates the need to do one's research carefully, and then back one's own judgement. The seven taken together, show that there will often be "swings and roundabouts" in overpaying for some lots, but getting others as bargains.

November - record price and a sad story

2009-11-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

World Record
Believed to be a new world record price for a miniature was paid for this diamond encrusted miniature portrait of Peter the Great originally given as an award.

It was sold at Sotheby's for USD1.315m, compared to an estimate of only $80,000-120,000. A total of 10 copies are known to have been awarded by the Russian Tsar and only six remain today.

Enough to make you weep!
I was sent the following anecdote the other day;
"I will leave you with a story that I was told just a few days ago. A man, very old today, remembers visiting in his grandfather's jewellery store in Manhattan during the depression. The man remembers people bringing in scraps of metal to be sold for pennies. And he remembers being just tall enough that he was eye to eye with a large jar his grandfather kept on a table. And the jar was full of little faces. The faces of miniatures which were discarded for the small amount of the precious metal would bring. All those tiny bits of art, lost to the world."

October - Buyer Beware - How to waste $18,000

2009-10-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

To show how careful it is necessary to be, unless you know what you are buying, here are four examples where a buyer could easily waste $18,000!!

As a warning to collectors, these fake miniature were recently, or are currently, being offered on Ebay for a total of $19,000 but together are worth less than $1000 in total.

The first of Napoleon, priced at $3100 and worth about $250
ANTIQUE PORTRAIT MINIATURE Signed GERARD Sitter-ARTIST

The second a copy of self portrait by Vigee le Brun, priced at Buy-It- Now for $4999, but worth about $150.

ANTIQUE PORTRAIT MINIATURE Signed GERARD Sitter-ARTIST

The third a copy supposedly by Isabey, priced at $7500, but worth about $150

Miniature Oil Napoleon II Signed Isabey

MINIATURE OIL PAINTING DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE LAURENT
Another one priced at $3599 and worth $300, mainly for the frame.
All I can say is please take care what you buy!

October - The Real Mr Frankenstein now published!

2009-10-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

This is advice for anyone interested, that the investigative biography of Sir Anthony Carlisle is now complete and available to anyone who wishes to buy a ebook version in .pdf format. It is 457 pages and 290,000 words, with over 200 illustrations. I have priced it at £9.99 [GBP9.99] which I hope seems reasonable. That equates to several cups of coffee, or a bottle of wine, and so is much cheaper than a printed version with that many illustrations would be. The download can be purchased at The Real Mr Frankenstein

Two academic journals have now accepted from me, papers relating to different aspects of the book, and with luck they will both be published before Christmas 2009. One is a literary journal and the other is a medical journal.

I hope the downloads work OK, but at let me know if there are any issues. The file is 11MB, so depending upon Internet connection speeds, may take a few minutes to download. It has been a major project, but fascinating and I am a little sad to have concluded it! It will now be interesting to see how it is received. As the book is self edited, there may be a few editing errors still remaining, so apologies in advance for them!

September - Modern miniatures and research

2009-09-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

Modern miniatures

I will probably get into trouble with my children by posting these images on the Internet, but I thought visitors might like to be aware that miniature portraits can still be painted and make a nice gift.

These three were all painted by Irina Kouznetsova whose website is at Irina Kouznetsova Miniature Art

Thus I recommend that if you are interested in miniature portraits, you should consider having some family portraits painted. They should last 'forever' and become family heirlooms of the future.

Ivory is sometimes not available, so other grounds may have to be used. Although I have been informed that some artists are now able to source mammoth ivory. The three here are painted using a Russian technique of painting on papier-machie, which is very satisfactory and less likely to crack than ivory.

Research
Although the research does not specifically relate to miniatures, I thought visitors might also be interested in some of the research into my book about Sir Anthony Carlisle. It is all set to be published. I am just waiting for one more reference book to come from overseas to enable me to check some information.

The following is an example of the new research now being revealed. It is a fascinating discovery!

In 1751 William Hogarth published a series of four prints titled "The Four Stages of Cruelty". The fourth print in the series depicts an anatomy theatre.

What has not been previously observed, is that the anatomist wielding a large knife is clearly Dr William Hunter the 18C accoucheur and anatomist, and the young assistant is his younger brother John Hunter, the famous 18C surgeon.

A comparison of the portrait of William Hunter on the cover of this book by Bynum and Porter, with the close up of the print, clearly shows the same prominent nose, chin, and cheekbones. In addition his spectacles match, in one he is wearing them and in one he is holding them.

John Hunter's portrait is not quite as obvious, but a similarity can be seen in this portrait of John Hunter by Robert Home.

The iconography of these portraits, and their connection with the history of men-midwifery and obstetrics, involving William Smellie and William Hunter, is explored more closely in a new biography of Sir Anthony Carlisle, available for purchase as a downloadable eBook in .pdf format, from October 2009 at The Real Mr Frankenstein

August - Stolen miniatures

2009-08-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

Please note the miniatures showing here have just been stolen from Liberty Hall in Frankfort, Kentucky, as shown in the advice below. Can I please urge the thief to return them undamaged. [In passing, the man looks as if he is painted by Walter Robertson (1750-1802). The initials on the lady are PH, which is for Pierre Henri (c1760-1822). ] Also see Mini portraits taken from Liberty Hall

Hello! My name is Beth Caffery, and I am the Curator of Collections of Liberty Hall Historic Site in Frankfort, Kentucky. Our site consists of two historic homes: Liberty Hall (1796) built by John Brown, one of Kentucky's first United States Senators, and the Orlando Brown House (1835), owned by Senator Brown's second son.

This weekend, two of our miniature portraits from Liberty Hall were stolen. Several museum professionals referenced you for your knowledge of portrait miniatures and suggested that I contact you with information regarding our missing miniatures. It is hard to guess where our miniatures have gone, but I would like to share details about our miniatures with you in case you are contacted about these pieces or happen to see them.

Miniature portrait of John Brown in a black coat and white ruffled shirt. Painted on ivory and framed in brass. Dimensions: 1.5” x 2.5”. Date: C.1800

Miniature portrait of Margaretta Brown in an empire waist dress with a dark blue sash. Painted on ivory and framed in brass. Signed: PH 1800 in lower right. Dimensions: 2” x 3”. Date: C.1800.

Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,

Beth Caffery

Beth Ann Caffery
Curator of Collections
Liberty Hall Historic Site
202 Wilkinson Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
502-227-2560
curator@libertyhall.org
www.libertyhall.org

August - The Real Mr Frankenstein and wearing a miniature

2009-08-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

The Real Mr Frankenstein

For any followers who are interested, my biography of Sir Anthony Carlisle will be released as an eBook in .pdf format in October 2009. The project was started after I purchased this miniature portrait of him last year.

When I found he was present at the death of Mary Wollstonecraft, mother of Mary Shelley, I felt there had to be a Frankenstein link. I am now satisfied he was the model for Victor Frankenstein and in his portrait, he appears to claim the link. The figure in the rear is a cadaver rising from the dead with a shroud in its left hand, and even looks like Mary Shelley's Creature.

More information about the project is available on my new website page at The Real Mr Frankenstein

Wearing a miniature
For those interested to know how a miniature was worn, here is a good example from around 1840 in an oil painting for auction by Eldreds.

Helping authors
By an odd series of coincidences, in the last month, I have been approached by three authors writing novels where a miniature portrait is a key part of their plot.

Each author was seeking to refer to a miniature in an authentic and correct manner. I was very pleased to assist each of them. Their three plots are entirely different and so they have no fears in that respect.

August - A new book and a question about damage

2009-07-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

New Book on Miniatures
A kind visitor has just told me about a new book on an Italian collection of miniature portraits.

It is by Elisabetta Accrescimbeni, and is titled Il colore della memoria. Ritratti in miniatura della Collezione Barocchi or The Colour of Memory. The Barocchi Collection of Portrait Miniatures, Livorno, 2009.

The size is 27 x 24 cm, soft-cover, 176 pages, 150 colour photos including several close-up enlargements. All texts in both Italian and English.

In this catalogue, Elisabetta Accrescinbeni discusses 127 fully illustrated miniatures from the collection of Carlo and Lucia Barocchi from Florence, on loan to the Museo degli Argenti in the Palazzo Pitti, Florence.

The collection includes masterworks by Isabey, Smart, Engleheart, Rosalba Carriera, Quaglia and Gigola.

The exhibition in Florence will start in October, 2009

The book can be ordered from: the editors, Sillabe in Livorno, Italy: + 39 0586829931 or at info@sillabe.it

ISBN 978-88-8347-459-0
Price: 27 € + postage and handling

A Question on Damage
Every week I get several emails asking about miniatures, and do not mind commenting upon images. However, I do prefer any images to be of modest size, as otherwise it is hard to view them. Also, as my software is very old, I am unable to unzip files.

I have been asked to comment on how scratches and cracks affect the value of a miniature? This is not an easy question to address, as it largely is influenced by the expression; "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Also, by the artist, the sitter, and, importantly, the funds available to the collector.

In a general sense, a common view is to say cracks and scratches should be avoided, especially on run of the mill, cheap miniatures of unknown sitters, by unknown artist.

However, to be categoric on that is unfair to any people who are not well-off and would like to collect some original art.

In fact, I could imagine an attractive collection being assembled, which contained only cracked or damaged miniatures. It would be useful for art or social history scholars who wanted to compare painting styles, to compare and date, costume and hair styles, or examine miniature casework.

Thus the answer to the question, really needs to be answered by each collector in terms of what their collecting aim is, and what will bring them pleasure.

A wealthy perfectionist should avoid damage, but a social historian should not worry too much. A good test is; will you ever find a better example? For unknown sitters by poor quality artists, the answer is probably yes, so do not buy it.

But for a damaged, but genuine portrait of Henry VIII, by an artist like Holbein, or a genuine damaged portrait of William Shakespeare, each with impeccable provenance, the chances of finding another are zero, so damage is irrelevant.

Apart from anything else, the average of a miniature portrait in a collection may be 200 years old. Now, what other items of that age are perfect? - books, large oil paintings, furniture, and ceramics etc. will all show some, or much, signs of use and age.

For furniture cracks, scratches, and stains are often regarded as part of the patina; as signs of being genuine, and evidence of loving care and use by a single family. Large oil paintings are often cleaned or retouched, can have replacement frames, and many have holes repaired.

A crack in a miniature can be obvious or not obvious, very short or very long, at the edge or through the face of the sitter. Thus, in my own opinion, too much attention is paid to damage and I think it is not possible to say that a crack affects the value by x%.

If you like a miniature, and it is not too expensive, buy it. You will learn a lot from owning and studying it. Then if you later find a better example of what you are seeking you can sell the damaged one.

I am reminded of the story of the man who never married. Asked why not, he replied. "Well, I have been like a horseman riding through a forest, looking for a perfect branch to make a switch. Every now and again, I would come across a very good branch, but then thought if I went a bit further, I might find an even better branch. Which I repeated several times, as I rode along. Then, before I realised it, I was clear through the forest."

July - Additons and market comment

2009-07-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Market Place
The other day, I wrote to someone about eBay and the Internet as follows.
"In looking back I see the first years of eBay and the Internet, have been an unrepeatable opportunity for collecting, prior to sellers and buyers becoming sophisticated. Most of my best buys were due to bad descriptions, bad spelling, and unsophisticated eBay systems.

For example, it used to be that "miniature" and "miniatures" required separate searches, so many people did not search on "miniatures", whereas I did. Also, you would be amazed how many different spelling errors there are, even for common words. However, sadly, most dedicated collectors now search multiple spellings!! (Tricks of the trade!!) Before eBay, I was constantly visiting antique shops looking for new stock, but now I rarely visit them, as all is done online!"

I started buying on eBay in mid 2000 and about 90% of the miniatures on this site were purchased there, for a very long time buying a couple every week. But now I rarely bid, especially since eBay ended its Live Auctions. There are too many wise collectors and dealers, so bargains have virtually disappeared, and many prices are inflated. However, I feel very fortunate to have been part of the "Wild West" era, which now seems ended.

Although it appeared without me being asked, it is somewhat surprising, and flattering, when miniatures from this collection are copied for other websites! For example a miniature of Garrit van Horne has graced an advertisement for the April Philadelphia Antiques Show and a major exhibition of miniature portrait titled "Patriots and Presidents: Philadelphia Portrait Miniatures, 1760-1860", See Gilbert Stuart: Philadelphia & early colonial portraiture/Portrait ...

Basically, I do not mind, although preferring a link back here, as the use helps to spread awareness of the subject. Also, if any miniature became as famous as the Mona Lisa, it would presumably be worth as much (Ha! Ha!)

Additions
Even so, the odd opportunity does arise to be able to buy something different, even if not at a bargain price!

Thus this pair of a Swedish University professor and author, Ebbe Samuel Bring, and his young wife, Anna Maria Leche, are a welcome addition to the collection

Miniature portraits by Scandinavian artists are not often seen outside north Europe, thus this signed, dated, and identified, pair by Maria Christina Rohl are especially useful in comparing painting styles, and dating clothing for undated miniatures. For more about them, see Rohl, Maria Christina - portraits of Ebbe Samuel and Anna Bring

More Market Examples
Miniatures from China and Hong Kong are occasionally seen, as with this example by Seng Yuen of Hong Hong, which sold for GBP122.

There is some debate over whether they should be classified as over-painted photos or not. My own opinion, is that they are not over-painted photos, but are genuine miniatures on ivory.

I am inclined to the view, that the reason they look like over-painted photos, is that the style developed by copying daguerreotypes carried by naval and other visitors to Asia.

There are some other examples in this collection.

Another interesting item was this family portrait where the father is wearing a uniform and the mother is holding a baby.

The mark above the lady's head is only a reflection and it sold for EUR433, which seems very reasonable, as the family was identified on the rear.

Although it was not expensive, this French miniature of a lady at court in a blue dress, shows how careful buyers need to be.

It was listed for sale at $225, then relisted a couple of days later for $175.

The price is reasonable, but it is a decorative copy, despite carrying a signature and the date 1788.

They may have been added later, as they are in gold paint.

It is a little hard to convey why it is wrong for the year 1788, as it will be a copy.

The colors are wrong, being too pale, the frame is more modern, and the rear is covered with an old document to make it seem older.

Some fakes are so obvious that one want to scream about the lack of professionalism shown by so called experts.

For example look at this fake with a piano key frame. It was sold by Pook & Pook as "A painting by John Smart, (British, 1741 to 1811). Oil on ivory miniature full-length portrait of William Pitt the younger, circa 1783."

It now appears at prices4antiques, see Smart, John; Oil on Ivory, Miniature, Portrait of Man, William ..

It was painted in the early 20C, and is a decorative copy of a large oil by another artist of the late 18C, possibly Gainsborough??

It is amazing that two such professional organisations can make such a silly mistake and expect people to rely on their judgement and pay for their services!

Some good miniatures do appear.
Recently, I was sent this image by an unsuccessful bidder at a local auction in NE USA.

It sold for $2050 plus buyer's commission, and I was asked who the artist was? I had to say it looked a bit like a James Peale, or Robert Field, but I doubted it was by either. However, it is a stunning miniature.

I have since asked an real expert on American miniatures, and he has replied as follows; "It does look like a James Peale but it's not. My best guess is that is an Archibald Robertson and possibly a copy of a Peale portrait. It's tough to tell without actually handling the piece but the technique does not look like Peale's work from this period."

That goes to show, that even the most expert eye can be uncertain with their attributions, without close inspection.

Recently sold for $710 is this identified pair. I was tempted to bid, but did not do so, when the price increased.

Although they are unsigned, my belief is that they are probably by James H Gillespie who painted in a similar style, although later works tended to have shading at the sides and bottom,

June - An addition and queries about miniatures

2009-06-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

Addition to the collection
One of the purposes of this website was to make available information about miniature painters which was unavailable from other sources. Examples of the work of two artists have been added.

One is this miniature of Miss Vinnie Brown by Claudia Veva O'Brien. More about it can be see at O'Brien, Claudia Veva - portrait of Vinnie Brown

She seems to have preferred to call herself Veva O'Brien and appears to be a previously unrecorded American artist who was born in Kansas.

I receive queries every week, and here are three examples of them.

Miniatures by Phillips

Another artist has been sent to me by the person owns this nice pair and who is seeking to know more about an artist named Phillips who painted these miniatures.

I have shown what we have so far found out about the artist in the Guest Gallery at Miniatures by Phillips

Any further information would be appreciated by the owner.

Ebenezer Mack
A couple of months ago, the Columbus Museum sent me this image asking if I knew the artist, as they were contemplating its purchase. I replied that I thought it was by Ebenezer Mack, whose work is rare.

That initial opinion was then confirmed by an expert on American miniatures and the museum has now decided to proceed with the purchase. The formal credit is thus;
Portrait of a Gentleman
ca. 1790
watercolor on ivory
2 ¾ x 2 ¼ inches
Ebenezer Mack
active in New York and Philadelphia 1785-1808
Collection of the Columbus Museum, Georgia
Museum purchase made possible by the Art Acquisitions and Restoration Fund

It was good to be able to help the museum and I am happy to try and assist any other museum to identity miniature portraits.

Percy Pack
Recently, I mentioned as an example of the variety of question that I get asked, the following; "I started a search this morning on miniature portraits as I'm trying find the owner of a miniature that I found a copy of in an old magazine. The publishing company is no longer in business so I haven't had any luck in that department. His name was Percy Pack and he was a surgeon of the 41st Regiment of Foot in the late 1790's - early 1800's until he became sick and died in 1804. I am currently working on a book of the 41st Regiment when they served in Canada from 1799 until 1815 so it's vital I get permission to us this portrait. Can you possibly steer me in the right direction on how to find the owner?"

To which I could only reply, "If you can send me the image I am happy to post it in my April comments and see if anyone recognises it or owns it, but I think you would be lucky. Otherwise you could do what I have seen elsewhere, and make a statement along these lines. "Attempts have been made to contact the current owners of all the portraits used, some without success, but I am very happy to acknowledge them in future editions of this book.""

The owner has now sent me this image of the miniature and is still keen to find the owner. He advises "Here is a scanned copy of the miniature I found in the thirtieth issue of "Regiment - The Military Collection" published in 1998. Like I had said, Percy Pack was a surgeon of the 41st Regiment of Foot in the late 1700's - early 1800's and died in 1804." Any other information about images of other members of the 41st would be welcomed by the owner.

May - Market snippets and more on fakes

2009-05-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Market Place

Now that eBay no longer has live auctions, the miniature portraits on offer there are not as nice as they used to be.

However, a couple of recent sales were very appealing.

The miniature of a man set into a snuff box was a rare example of a miniature in enamels by Dupuy, 1801. It sold for $830 and I think was a good buy at that level. Enamels are special because of the work involved and as they will never fade, unlike miniatures on ivory.

Many European miniatures were made to be the lids of snuff boxes, so it is nice to see one complete and still in good condition.

A high price was paid for the miniature of a young lady. It was not signed, nor the sitter identified, but I think it is by Andrew Robertson. If so, that will explain the price of GBP3658.

A fringe area of miniature portrait collecting is enamel portraits on silver vesta cases and silver cigarette cases from the late 19C to around 1940.

These usually depict scantily clad ladies and often sell for over $1000. Several sold much more cheaply recently. Apologies for the small images, but they were all I could locate.

The prices ranged from $202 to $436, which I think was very cheap buying and probably a sign of the economic climate.

In style they are similar to this enamel portrait of a cat, in the form of a tie-pin. These were popular in the 19C. It is by William Essex and was painted in 1828, so an early work by him.

It was offered on eBay at its 1999 buying price of $6500, which is very high and did not sell.

A similar tie-pin by Essex of a fox, sold for only a couple of hundred dollars recently, which was cheap, so I would think a market value for his tie-pins is probably in the range $500-$1000.

Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware

It is frustrating to see so many decorative miniatures for sale with silly prices. This miniature of George Washington (yet another one!!) is shown as an example of how careful new buyers of miniature portraits need to be. It is up for auction with an estimate of $4000-$5000, but is worth only $100-$150

It is described as "c. 1830, George Washington, Miniature Portrait Painting On Ivory, Ornately Framed, Choice Extremely Fine. Likely French, this early first-half of the 19th Century Miniature Portrait Painting On Ivory is signed middle right “N. Lubex". The central, Oval George Washington Portrait Painting measures 7/8" x 1.5" (sight) and the full frame measures 3.5” tall x 3” wide, with a beautiful and highly decorative tortoise shell partially covered with a gilt brass design. The back of the frame has been previously opened for inspection and there is European newspaper print covering. The painted image shows Washington facing to the right in his military uniform and a ruffled shirt. This depiction has the appearance of being painted by a French artist, as Washington is given a soft, Regal and almost “Royal” appearance. The detail is extremely sharp and precise, the colors vivid and distinct."

What a load of codswallop! It shows how a description can appear to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear! It can be seen at http://www.earlyamerican.com/Auctions/ClientPages/lots.item.php?auction=92&lot=218

A similar fake was this soldier recently sold on eBay for GBP295, which I think was about twice its true value.

The seller did ask me about it beforehand and I told him it was a decorative copy from the late 19C, but he still listed it with a description of; "THIS IS A RARE BOULLE MINIATURE PICTURE FRAME, WITH A LATE GEORGIAN OR EARLY VICTORIAN PAINTING OF AN 18TH CENTURY OFFICER. ON THE BACK OF THE FRAME IS A SMALL LABEL WHICH SAYS GENERAL SIR C. STEWART, THIS CAN BE RESEARCHED ON THE NET, TO SEE THE GENTLEMAN'S HISTORY" which in my opinion is misleading.

In the last week, I have been able to save two potential miniature collectors several thousand dollars each. They were both contemplating buying different, but very highly priced miniatures, which I had previously pointed out on my website, were not as claimed by the sellers.

They came across my references and separately asked me why I thought they were not as claimed in the descriptions. So I detailed the problems. Although, there was no financial benefit to me, I am glad I was able to save the collectors their money.

April - Magazine Articles on American Miniatures

2009-04-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Magazine Articles
The Magazine Antiques has periodic articles about miniature portraits, which I would recommend tracking down and obtaining for anyone collecting American miniature portraits.

I have accumulated several back copy examples from recent years, which were purchased by looking for copies of the magazine on eBay, including;

December 1999 - Mrs Moses B Russell, Boston Miniaturist
November 2000 - Henry Benbridge
February 2002 - Portraits in Miniature, Anna Claypoole Peale and Caroline Schetky
November 2002 - Moses B Russell
November 2003 - John Wood Dodge
November 2004 - The Art of John Henry Brown

There is a more general article on American miniature portraits in The Magazine Antiques for April 2009, the cover showing here. It opens by mentioning the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.

Unfortunately, there is not a portrait of Alexander Hamilton in this collection!

However, there is one of his grandson's wife and one of Aaron Burr, see Inman, Henry - portrait of Elizabeth Smith Nicoll and Unknown - portrait of Aaron Burr, also one of Aaron Burr's daughter Theodosia Burr Alston, see below and at Jarvis, John Wesley - portrait of Theodosia Burr Alston

The article is copyright, but The Magazine Antiques has been kind enough to make it available to anyone interested in American miniatures at, http://www.themagazineantiques.com/articles/portrait-miniatures-in-the-new-republic/

The article goes on to comment on several American miniature portrait artists, including Edward Greene Malbone, considered by the article to be the "finest miniaturist in the United States", and who painted this miniature of an unknown man.

Certainly, his best works are outstanding, but to be fair, his quality was variable and the example showing here from this Artists and Ancestors collection, being an early work by him, is not one of his best works.

The images at the hyper-link to the article are also copyright and some are not all viewable at all, so I cannot show them here, thus if you want copies, you should try and obtain a copy of the magazine.

However, to try and assist visitors appreciate the work of some of the artists mentioned in the article, I have assembled some images from this collection which are by artists mentioned in the article, with hyper-links to more details about those miniatures.

Many miniatures are unsigned and so it is necessary to make attributions based upon stylistic clues. Even so, there can be friendly disagreement over attributions! Those shown here are believed to be largely correct, but there may be the odd error of attribution.

It would be great if The Magazine Antiques felt able to expand the number of miniature artists covered and then perhaps publish them together, as a reference publication or book on the subject of American miniature portraits.

There are few recent books on the subject. Information about the artists tends to be timeless, but reference books showing multiple examples by each artist are lacking.

The Cincinnati Art Museum did include a number of American miniatures in their "Perfect Likeness" book, which was helpful.

However, the subject is well overdue for a comprehensive "American Miniature Portrait Dictionary" covering the period 1740-1940.

The artists mentioned in the article include;
Edward Greene Malbone, Anson Dickinson, Joseph Wood, John Wesley Jarvis, Daniel Dickinson, Archibald Robertson, Robert Field, Charles Willson Peale, Richard Morrell Staigg, William Dunlap, Mary Way, Nathaniel Rogers, Henry Inman, and Thomas Seir Cummings.

This collection does not have works by all the artists named, but some are shown here, with multiple examples in a few instances, which helps to show how the artists changed their style over the years.
Malbone, Edward Greene - portrait of a man
Cummings, Thomas Seir - portrait of a man
Dickinson, Anson - portrait of a young man
Rogers, Nathaniel - portrait of David Ryerson
Rogers, Nathaniel - portrait of Master Bucknell
Rogers, Nathaniel - portrait of a young man
Rogers, Nathaniel - portrait of a man
Staigg, Richard Morrell - portrait of a man
Staigg, Richard Morrell - portrait of Colonel William Parsons Winchester
Jarvis, John Wesley - portrait of Theodosia Burr Alston
Comstock, Stout, and etc portraits for more by Rogers and Wood
Wood, Joseph - portrait of a man
Wood, Joseph - portrait of a lady
Wood, Joseph - portrait of a man

Naturally, every collector has their favorite artists and there is never enough space to show them all in print. Hence some interesting and talented artists did not make the April article in The Magazine Antiques. Thus this is an excuse to show here a selection of miniatures from this collection, by some of those artists who are felt worthy of an "honorable" mention!

Brown, John Henry - portrait of Mrs Maria Cadwalader
Champlain, Elizabeth Way - portrait of a young lady
Clark, Alvan - portrait of Ruth Morrison

Clark, Alvan - portrait of lady in pale lilac dress

Fraser, Charles - Mary Branford Shubrick
Dodge, John Wood - portrait of Eliza Jane Moffit Budd
Doyle, William - portrait of a lady

Freeman, George - portrait of a lady
Fulton, Robert - portrait of a man
Parker, Thomas - Professor William Tully

Peale, James - portrait of Dr Robert Hare
Peale, Raphaelle - portrait of a man
Peale, Raphaelle - portrait of a lady
Ramage, John - portrait of Garrit Van Horne
Robertson, Walter - portrait of a lady "C V"

Russell, Moses B - portrait of a young lady

Russell, Moses B - portrait of a man

Strobel, Louisa - portrait of a lady

Thielcke, Henry Daniel - portrait of an unknown lady

Wagner, Daniel and Maria Louisa - portrait of a lady

April - Snippets and Painting Miniatures

2009-04-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

Painting Miniatures

I have been asked about books suitable for people who wish to try to paint miniatures.

I do not paint myself, but have a couple of books in my library. They both cover landscapes, portraits, flowers etc.

One is by Elizabeth Days Wood published in 1989 and the other is by Sue Burton, published in 1995.

They appear to give good instructions, so if anyone is interested, I suggest you try to track them down, although there are other similar books as well.

I find www.abebooks.com is quite a good place to look for books.

Daisy Blades
I thought it might be interesting to know that since my last post about Daisy Blades, I have been sent some more interesting information about her family which I have added at Blades, Daisy - portrait of a child It is nice to be able to add information about a relatively unrecorded artist.

Every week I get a number of emails about miniatures, asking opinions about them. I know miniature portraits are very much a "niche" area of interest, but they do seem to attract occasional new visitors. A kind visitor wrote; "I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often."

I have also had a nice comment about the Shrubrick family reading, "Thank you for this extensive amount of family history. I am a lighthouse historian doing research on the early members of the U.S. Light-House Board, and your site is a treasure trove of information on William Shubrick and his family." See Fraser, Charles - Mary Branford Shubrick

As an example of the variety of question that I get asked, the following arrived this week. "I started a search this morning on miniature portraits as I'm trying find the owner of a miniature that I found a copy of in an old magazine. The publishing company is no longer in business so I haven't had any luck in that department. His name was Percy Pack and he was a surgeon of the 41st Regiment of Foot in the late 1790's - early 1800's until he became sick and died in 1804. I am currently working on a book of the 41st Regiment when they served in Canada from 1799 until 1815 so it's vital I get permission to us this portrait. Can you possibly steer me in the right direction on how to find the owner?"

I could only reply, "If you can send me the image I am happy to post it in my April comments and see if anyone recognises it or owns it, but I think you would be lucky. Otherwise you could do what I have seen elsewhere, and make a statement along these lines. "Attempts have been made to contact the current owners of all the portraits used, some without success, but I am very happy to acknowledge them in future editions of this book.""

Another visitor asked "I came across your blog during my research for information on the painter Frank Lucien Nicolet , as I have a few original water colors pictures from him from the 1930's Paintings taken in Quebec Canada. Would you know any one that specializes.in his works." I had to reply, "I am sorry I do not know of anyone who specializes in his works. Very little seems to be known about him and it took me a great deal of hunting around to gradually discover the information I have shown on the website."

March - a few Snippets and an Addition

2009-03-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

Apology
Apologies to any readers who have wondered what has become of my blog entries. I confess over the last few months, I have decided to try and write a biography about one of the sitters in a miniature portrait, Sir Anthony Carlisle. Hence all my spare time (and more!) has been directed towards that.

It has involved a great deal of reading and Internet research, with the draft biography now well over 150,000 words. Carlisle is an absolutely fascinating research subject.

A tiny amount of my research about him can be seen at Bone, Henry - portrait of Sir Anthony Carlisle but most of the more really interesting information about him is in the draft, including the great male-midwifery debate he was involved with around 1830.

The most exciting discovery about him is surprising, as there is strong evidence that he wrote some Gothic novels, which were published anonymously in the late 18C.

I am now trying to see if I can find a publisher who would regard the biography as a commercial proposition.

If any reader has any papers or other items belonging to him, I would love to hear about them. Also from any interested publisher!

Addition
Additions are becoming much harder to find and I have more or less stopped looking in the interim and as I am so busy researching and writing.

However, there has been one addition of interest to the collection, by an unknown artist, it is a portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette and there is an attached lock of hair.

It is most likely a copy portrait, but so far I have not been able to find an identical pose.

Thus it may possibly be an original miniature of him, from his visit to the United States. For more, see Unknown - Marquis de Lafayette

Snippets
Every week I get emails from people about miniature portraits. Some ask about miniatures they own and some tell me more about artists and sitters. For example today I received some information about Daisy Blades who I knew very little about. It can be seen at Blades, Daisy - portrait of a child Yesterday I received some information about Harriet Horton which I added to Horton, Harriet - portrait of Anna Helen Garth Goodlett I am always grateful for such information as it makes the website a better and better resource for collectors.

It is also nice from time to time, to help people find pictures of some of their ancestors or distant relations, and add more information about them.

The Market Place
I was relieved to see this decorative copy of a miniature of Napoleon did not sell on eBay after being listed for 30 days at a price of $3000!!

It was described as by Jacques Louis David 1748-1825; "Remarkable artisanship is prominently displayed in this fine French handpainted in watercolor, miniature portrait of Napoleon in a gracefully chased bronze trimmed frame. The painting is signed by Jacques Louis DAVID (1748-1825)- see close up photo. Napoleon, a friend and patron to David made David his 'premier peintre de l'Empereur' and gave him many important commissions. David won the blue ribbon of French art and was elected to to the Academie in 1783. During his heyday David reigned supreme in the French School painting style with pupils and disciples including Girodet, Gros, Gerard, Leopold Robert, Abel de Pujol and Ingres. The backing of this piece is cloth and held by tabs from the frame. Dimensions: h. 3" w. 2 1/2". Circa 1803 - 1815."

When it was first listed, I emailed the US dealer to tell him his description was wrong and it was a fake. He told me that six!!! experts had viewed it and told him it was genuine. That just shows how careful buyers need to be. I am afraid it is still necessary to "Buyer Beware" despite what dealers claim! If it had been a genuine miniature of Napoleon I would guess the value at close to $100,000. As it is, even $300 would be too much for it!

Another fake was this miniature which from the painting style, appears to date from the 1960's. The seller advertised it as "Georgian French Portrait Miniature of Young Lady and Puppet ***Circa Late 1700s*** This is a fine quality miniature of a French Breathtaking Young Lady with a "polichinelle" or Puppet. She is exquisitely hand-painted with watercolors on ivory and if there is a signature along the edge (hidden by framing) or on the back I am unsure as I hesitate to disassemble the original frame and glass , She is dressed in an in Georgian Period dress so I would date this at appx 1790."

As regular visitors will realise it is another "genuine fake". It sold for $199.95, but is not worth that.

Other more interesting genuine miniatures included this group.

The young lady sold for GBP 1510, which seems very high. but I do not know the artist.

Another was the Franz Hals copy of a young man by Lillian Reubena Deane which sold for only $59.

She was an American artist and there are several miniature portraits by her in this collection. I think the price was very cheap for a listed artist.

I am not very good at picking British artists, but think this one shown front and rear which sold as unknown for GBP300 might be Gustavus Hamilton, an Irish artist of the 18C.

Another good buy for GBP255 was this Georgian silver pique work tooth pick box. The lid has a delightful portrait miniature of a child dressed in a leopard skin with a vine leaf crown, leaning on a shield holding a branch. Box measures 4" long by 1 & 1/8ths" front to back. The portrait measures just under 1" high.

February - Yves St Laurent sale

2009-02-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

Any collector of miniatures is now too late to place bids at the Yves St Laurent auction held by Christie's in Paris this month! However, they may be interested in Lot 120 which was purchased by The Louvre for GBP481,000 or USD622,000.

This must be close to being a record price for a European miniature portrait on enamel.

The description was: AN IMPORTANT LOUIS XIV ROSE-CUT DIAMOND AND ENAMELLED GOLD-MOUNTED PRESENTATION MINIATURE, THE PORTRAIT BY JEAN I PETITOT (1607-1691), THE MOUNTS PROBABLY BY PIERRE OR LAURENT LE TESSIER DE MONTARSY, CIRCA 1680. The circular pendant with oval miniature of Louis XIV enclosed in large rose-cut diamonds with smaller stones at the outer edges, the reverse enamelled with Louis XIV's cypher, the crown-shaped openwork surmount decorated en suite and mounted in silver and gold.

This miniature is inspired by a royal portrait by Claude Lefèvre and engraved by Nicolas Pitau in 1670, a copy of which is in the New Orleans Museum of Art. These miniatures, known in the 17th century as boîtes à portrait, originally came in outer cases and were intended as royal gifts during the reign of Louis XIV. Indeed, more than 300 examples are listed in the registre des Présents du Roi. A similar pendant with a different portrait, but the diamonds now missing, is exhibited in the Gemeente Museum of the Hague (inv. n. ODv.1-1929).

It was given to Antonius Heinsius, Great Pensioner of Holland, when he came to France for the funeral of Queen Marie Thérèse in 1683. Only three boîtes with the portrait after Lefèvre are recorded of which the present example is the most complete. (See M. Bimbenet-Privat, op. cit)

Also sold at the sale was Lot 121 described as; A GERMAN MINIATURE PORTRAIT ON ENAMEL ATTRIBUTED TO ISMAEL MENGS (1688-1764), CIRCA 1740. Portrait of King Augustus III of Poland and Elector Frederick-Augustus II of Saxony (1696-1764), wearing the Polish order of the White Eagle, in a later silver-gilt laurel and scroll frame surmounted by a crown. The price was much more affordable at GBP10,000 (USD13,000).

Enamel miniatures of this size and type were gifted as diplomatic gifts in the late 17C and early 18C. The quality of the case being a reflection of the importance of the recipient and the wealth of the sovereign giving the miniature.

An enamel miniature in this Artists and Ancestors collection, of similar date and size, but in a little less ornate case is one depicting William III which is attributed to Michael Rosse (1650-1735), the husband of Susan Penelope Rosse, for more detail see Rosse, Michael - portrait of King William III

The prices achieved at the sale even though high for Lot 120, make me think that miniature portraits are still inexpensive compared to large artworks.

For example Lot 77 only 178mm in diameter, really more of a miniature in size, but was inccuded within the large artworks sold for GBP577,000 (USD747,000). It was described as; "PORTRAIT OF A MAN IN PROFILE, SIGNED BY JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID. PENCIL, PEN AND BLACK INK, BLACK AND GREY WASH, HEIGHTENED WITH WHITE, PEN AND BROWN INK FRAMING LINES. "

"Reproduced in most works devoted to Jacques-Louis David and exhibited on numerous occasions, this drawing is well renown. Without a doubt, this celebrity status - the term Davidian icon springs to mind! - is due as much to its obvious pictorial qualities as to its traditional identification - the only known self-portrait drawn by the artist - and its remarkable provenance: this is the only drawing by David to have been included in the Goncourt brothers' collection".

Being a self portrait makes the image more valuable, although it appears there is not necessarily universal acceptance of it as a self portrait by David.

Two of David's contemporaries are connected to a miniature portrait in this collection which is set into the top of a green lacquer snuff box with gold filigree work on the top and around the sides.

They were the important French sculptor Joseph Chinard and his good friend, the miniature painter in enamels, Jean-Francois Sorion who painted this enamel miniature of Chinard in 1801.

Thus it is fascinating to think that David likely handled this miniature of Joseph Chinard. For more about it see Soiron, Jean Francois - portrait of Joseph Chinard

February - Market place and addition

2009-02-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

The Market Place

Recently I have kindly been sent two interesting books about European miniatures, one Italian and the other French. The Italian one is written by Bernardo Falconi It is about the series of miniatures by Giambattista Gigola depicting Eugene de Beauharnis and his family. The 91 page book is interesting as it is the equivalent of an early 19C "photograph album", showing miniatures by Gigola of the one family over a period of time. It is in Italian with coloured photographs and with a summary in English.

The other is 130 pages recording the 21 papers, four in English and seventeen in French, which were presented at a conference on miniatures held in France on 10/11 October 2008. The many illustrations are in black and white, but the articles are very informative.

Limnings in Little

Miniature collectors interested in other opinions on the subject of miniature portraits should also visit Limnings in Little by Christine Archibald.

As an aim of this Artists and Ancestors blog is to improve collective knowledge on the subject of miniature portraits, any new blogs such as this new one are welcome. I endorse the entry in Christine's blog; "There’s a real need for a comprehensive dictionary and guide for American miniatures (along the lines of Daphne Foskett’s dictionary on English miniatures)."

For future ease of reference, I have added the link into the Gallery Links on the right, on this page and also on the Artists and Ancestors Home page, so they can easily be found in the future. Also added into the Gallery Links is a link to a website about a miniature of Abraham Lincoln which has other useful comments, see Lincoln Miniature Painting - An Abraham Lincoln Discovery

Auction houses

Many of the miniatures added to this collection over the last few years came from eBay live auctions. However, from January 1 in their wisdom(??), eBay have ceased their live auctions and hence it is now much harder to locate miniature portraits to purchase. One can go direct to the auction house sites, but very few of them are user friendly.

For example, Skinners is very hard to log onto, it took me about two days of trying over about ten sessions before I could log on. I think their server must be too limited in capacity, so there is very much a disincentive to bid at such auction houses.

Other auction houses have similar or different problems. I know of one online miniature buyer who signed up for a live auction run by a replacement for eBay, but the replacement ran into problems during the auction and skipped all the potential live bidding. For this reason and the general economic conditions, it looks like it may be a difficult year to locate many new miniatures.

I expect 2009 will be a hard year for auction houses, initially with more people wanting to sell possessions than there are wanting to buy them, particularly for lots at the upper end of the market, unless the lots are really exceptional such as the Washington miniature below. This will depress overall auction prices and so after a few weak auction sales, I think many items will be held back by sellers until 2010 and beyond. The reduced sales at the top of the market will hit the income of auction houses very hard, as it is the commission on top art prices which make their annual profits.

There are also likely to be some failures among auction houses, as with any other industry group, so sellers should be wary of selecting which houses they use. It would seem logical for lower-end firms to go out of business and for there to likely be some consolidations among auction houses during 2009/2010.
Possibly because of the economic conditions and perhaps influenced by the very high commission rates, the recent Skinners' sale of miniatures had mixed results. It is understood that about half the miniatures were unsold and one by Mrs Moses B Russell sold for only $237.

Where as institutions are willing to pay well for very rare items, the average auction buyer is put off by very high commission rates. It is probable selling commission rates can be negotiated for the likes of the Washington miniature below, but for lesser items, if an auction house charges 20-25% on sales and another 20-25% to the purchaser, the auction house is taking nearly 50% of the total price and there is also sometimes sales tax on top of the commissions. To me that seems excessive.

However the top lot sold well. It was a miniature by Robert Field of George Washington, reputedly being the last miniature by Field in private hands. It was estimated at $150,000 to $200,000 and I think it sold for little over $300,000. It is identical to one sold last year for $300,000, see Miniatures of George Washington - fake and genuine.]

Another lot sold as unattributed, but by John Ramage, being a portrait miniature of a gentleman wearing a red jacket, late 18th century, watercolor on ivory, oval bust, estimated at $800-1200, was recognised by some bidders and sold for $3,081.

Additional miniatures sold by Skinners included a portrait miniature of a gentleman, attributed to William Verstille (American, 1757-1803), c. 1785, watercolor and gouache on ivory, estimated at $2500-3500, which sold for $4,148. Also, a portrait miniature of William Greenleaf, wrongly attributed to John Ramage (Irish/American, 1748-1802), but actually by William Verstille c. 1778, estimated at $1000-2000, sold for $3,555.

Fakes

Collectors still need to watch out for dishonest or ignorant sellers. A miniature of Beethoven with a fake signature of Hall, intended to make a buyer think it was by Pierre Adolphe Hall, was advertised for sale as by an American artist, being described as; "Up for Bid is an Original Vintage MINIATURE PORTRAIT of LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN rendered in OIL-ON-VELLUM by Listed Artist WILLIAM HALL (Philadelphia Early-Mid 19th Century) Signed Upper Right circa 1840!!!!

Wonderful Miniature Portrait of Beethoven after Joseph Karl Stieler's Masterpiece. Housed in it Original Oval Frame, sans the Glass. William Hall was a Portrait Artist from Philadelphia and was active there from 1837-1840. He exhibited at the Artists' Fund Society in Phila. at that time."

That is a patently dishonest description by the seller and as intended, it fooled the buyers as it was bid up to $217, despite being worth under $100.

A more dangerous item to watch out for, was a modern reproduction of a St Memin miniature portrait. It was described as being made from the original plate. In my mind to offer items like this is bordering on the irresponsible, as subsequent sellers may then offer it as genuine and thus hurt the market value of genuine St Memin portraits.

Other interesting items

Three items offered for sale and worth commenting on, included a portrait of Sir John Dolben. Although it does not looks appealing, I was keen on this miniature, as he had an interesting history, but I was outbid.

A nice Georgian mourning brooch set into a toothpick box sold for GBP 576 which was cheap considering its rarity.

However, a miniature by the well known Swedish artist, Jakob Axel Gillberg, signed and dated 1809 did not sell, although modestly priced at $395.

Addition

Only one item has been added to the collection this month, a pencil drawing of a most unusual historical figure, the Chevalier d'Eon who spied in Russia for Louis XV, dressed as a woman, fought in the Seven Year's War, but later fenced in London as a woman until badly wounded in 1792.

d'Eon was the subject of huge wagers in London, some sources suggest as much as GBP70,000, and there was even a court case about d"Eon, as to whether d'Eon was male or female which gave rise to half and half images as showing here.

On d'Eon's death, Sir Anthony Carlisle conducted an autopsy and revealed that d'Eon was male. In the 20C and 21C d'Eon has spawned, books, plays, films and even a TV series.

For more about d'Eon, see Unknown - portrait of the Chevalier d'Eon

January - Addition and the market place

2009-02-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

An American Addition

Already, the year ahead does not look promising for many endeavours, nor for the world-wide economy, but hopefully it will be possible to accumulate a few interesting miniatures during 2009.

Fortunately, the year has got off to an auspicious start with the acquisition of a very interesting American miniature portrait of John Shubael Bell of Boston.

The artist has not yet been determined, but they may be a Scandinavian or German working in Boston. The sitter has been able to be confirmed, by comparison with a contemporary portrait of John Shubael Bell, so it would have been painted in Boston.

The interest in the miniature is that in 1815 John Shubael Bell gifted the first sculpture of Georges Washington ever to go on public display. The marble sculpture can still be seen, nearly two hundred years later) at Old North Church (originally called Christ Church) in Boston.

For more about the portrait and pictures of the Washington sculpture see Unknown - portrait of John Shubael Bell

A visitor has asked about modern miniature portrait painters. Some artists can be found via the links at Art Collecting Links

Interesting Miniatures
A kind visitor found the miniature by Daniel and Maria Wagner in this collection and has sent in for display another miniature by Daniel Wagner. Wagner painted this one of his niece, Altheda Sheffield (Phelps) at age 14 in 1840. She was the great-great-grandmother of the visitor.

For the one of an unknown lady in this collection by Daniel Wagner, see Wagner, Daniel and Maria Louisa - portrait of a lady It is clear they are both by the same artist and so that helps to build up knowledge of two talented artists, who were brother and sister.

Recently published by the Washington Post is an interesting portrait of Martha Washington.

Known portraits of Martha show her as an older lady, but by using computer software, it has been possible to reverse age her portrait, to show what she might have looked like as a young woman. The older image of Martha Washington is from a miniature portrait painted by James Peale.

From the computer image, an artist named Micheal Deas has painted this portrait of Martha as an attractive young lady.

The Market Place
For those interested in museums, a sudden shock is the closure of the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University. The whole collection is to be sold. For more see my blog comment at Part 8 - Stimulus, autos, and museums and for a statement from Michael Rush, Director of the Rose Art Art Museum, regarding the impending closing of the museum. Cick here.

On a more positive note, interesting miniatures noticed in the market place included a tiny enamel of a fox, in the form of a tie-pin three inches long, with the enamel itself being only just over half an inch in diamteter.

It was signed by William Essex (1784-1869) and dated 1861. At only GBP 193 it was a bargain for the purchaser, as I think similar works have sold for over 1000 pounds.

One miniature which attracted no bids was a 20C miniature of an unknown lady by the British artist, Charles Turrell (1845-1932). His miniatures are usually in expensive frames, as this one is, and they sell for very high prices, although to me his work seems no better than several other 20C artists from Britain.

The one here is signed "CT 1889" and the opening bid sought was $1250, but there was no interest.

As usual there are a few sellers offering fakes for sale. This poor quality miniature by a British artist was offered and claimed to be by the American artist, William Verstille, 1755-1803. However, it is nothing like his work. I sent the seller a message politely telling him this the first time he listed it, but he ignored my email. The asking price was very high and it did not sell.

The second time by the seller, it was listed the price was much lower, although it was still claimed to be by Verstille. It sold for GBP 163 still overpriced, but most buyers obviously realised the attribution was fake.

A quite attractive miniature of a girl by Theodora Larsh sold for GBP95, which seemed quite inexpensive.

There are several miniatures by Theodora Larsh in this collection, including a self portrait and a portrait of her husband, see Larsh, Theodora - portraits of herself and her husband

The Larsh portrait was also interesting, as a kind visitor recently sent me images of a collection of dozen or so miniatures by Theordora Larsh, seeking to sell them.

Some of the Larsh miniatures had been exhibited and were very nice examples of her work, being more like miniature paintings of unusual portrait angles and full figures, than standard miniature portraits, but regretfully the collection was far too expensive for me to buy.

An miniature of an unknown older lady wearing a white bonnet was painted by Thomas Heathfield Carrick (1802-1875) and sold for GBP 205. The interesting feature about this miniature, is that it is painted on marble.

Carrick was noted for painting on marble and received a medal from Prince Albert in 1845 for the concept.

There is a pair of miniatures on marble of a young man and a lady by Carrick in the British section of this collection. See Carrick, Thomas Heathfield - portrait of a man and Carrick, Thomas Heathfield - portrait of a lady

Mourning items usaully attract high prices and this attractive mourning ring was no exception, selling for GBP 821. The name and age of the person commemorated was engraved on the reverse, which added to the value. It would be interesting to research that person.