February 2012 - Five American 20C additions

Five American miniature portraits from the early 20C have been acquired for the collection. They are all by important artists of the period whose names are now largely forgotten.

There is a pair of portraits of a Palo Alto couple by Rosa Hooper who lived in Palo Alto, California, see View

Also a single miniature portrait of a older gentleman by Ava de Lagercrantz, a Swedish artist who painted royalty and spent part of her career in New York, where she likely painted this portrait as the case is American, see View

The other two portraits are wax miniatures by Ethel Frances Mundy, another artist whose work is omitted from most public collections of miniature portraits, but who sculpted portraits for the wealthiest families in America.

That of a standing lady is very large at 200mm (8ins). It depicts Dorothy Kane in 1913, a descendant of John Jacob Astor, see View The one of a child with a toy horse is of Archibald Graham Thomson in 1915, a relation of the Wanamaker family, see View

For comparison also showing here are two further wax miniatures of unidentified children also by Ethel Frances Mundy. The three portraits of children are all 150mm (6ins) in diameter. For more about them and about Mundy, see View





































The Market Place
Several interesting prices have been achieved on eBay. One was described as;
Miniature Portrait Painting Blue Enamel on Gold Case most likely English. A a miniature portrait painting in a blue enamel gold case, in the original red leather oval case. The painting is signed C.T. 1889. The dimensions of the oval case is 4 inches by 3 inches.
The vendor did not recognise the initials as being for the artist, Charles Turrell, so was probably surprised to see it sell for $1715.

Less surprised would have been the vendor of a pair of portraits by Cornelia Hildebrandt which also sold for $1715 and were described as;
AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING RARE PAIR OF MINIATURE PORTRAIT PAINTINGS, OF AN IDENTIFIED BROTHER AND SISTER, BY RENOWNED NEW YORK ARTIST, CORNELIA E. HILDEBRANDT (1876-1962).

IT IS RARE TO HAVE A BROTHER-SISTER PAIR OF MINIATURES, LET ALONE AN IDENTIFIED PAIR OF THEM! EVEN THOUGH THESE MIGHT SELL FOR MORE IF I SPLIT THEM UP, I WILL NOT SELL THESE SEPARATE AS I FEEL THEY NEED TO STAY TOGETHER. THE PORTRAIT PAINTINGS ARE EXECUTED ON THE NORMAL NATURAL BONE SUBSTRATE AND DEPICT WILLIAM PRITCHARD BROWNE JR., AGE 3, AND HIS SISTER MARY LANGDON BROWNE.

More modestly priced was a miniature of a blonde girl by M J Whittmore which sold for $384 and was described as;
Antique miniature oil portrait on ivory. Beautiful blonde woman with pearl necklace signed on side MJ Whittemore. Oval gilt frame with faux pearl edge. Frame measures approx. 3.25" x 4" not including the top bale.

Interesting were two miniatures with ornate mourning images. One being only a mourning brooch which sold for £437. The other, oval one, was more ornate with a miniature portrait on the other side. It sold for £1687 (approx. $2650) and was an outstanding example of a mourning miniature.