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JOHN BREWSTER Jr.
Portrait of a Gentleman
New England
early 19th century.
Oil on canvas. Painted half-length with the typical simple Brewster background that focuses attention on the sitter. Brewster rendered the clothing in well modeled detail, with black high-collared coat, white vest, and elaborate tie. The gentleman holds an intriguing envelope, with red wax seal. Often a book is seen as a device to communicate literacy, yet the presence of an envelope is very unusual. What could it have held to gain such prominence in his portrait? Another Brewster with envelope may be seen in the Laracy Collection; Sotheby's, January, 2007.
John Brewster Jr. (1766-1854) was a deaf-mute, raised in a highly cultured family with seven brothers and sisters. He worked as an itinerant portrait painter along the New England coast. As a result of his extraordinary concentration, exemplary artistic skills, and especially his ability to “see” (given that he could not communicate verbally with his subjects) he was able to capture unique portraits that revealed his sitters’ nuanced personalities. As described by American Museum of Folk Art: "Brewster was especially sensitive to the sitter's face, emphasizing his or her direct gaze-as a deaf artist, eye contact became a moment of engagement and communication.....Brewster was influenced by the paintings of Connecticut artist Ralph Earl but simplified the settings and introduced broad flat areas of color, and soft, expressive facial features"......
Fine condition with touch up around the perimeter. Cleaned and lined. Contemporary gilt frame about 33 x 29 ½ inches; site size (on the larger size for a Brewster half-length) of about 28 inches x 24 5/8.
Provenance: Private Northeast collection. For reference, see A DEAF ARTIST IN EARLY AMERICA, THE WORLDS OF JOHN BREWSTER JR., Harlan Lane; and THE WORLD OF JOHN BREWSTER JR, Fennimore Art Museum
Folk Art Portrait
Toddler Boy
Holding his Tin Horn
Northeast, ca. 1840.
Oil on what appears to be linen. The seated handsome, blue-eyed boy in green/black patterned dress, ruffled collar, and black belt with elaborate buckle. Rendered by an unidentified yet skilled artist. Untouched condition, never lined, expected broad craquelure.
Gilded frame size about 26 ½ inches x 22 ½.
Important Carved Wooden Panel
Rose Bush Plaque
.....sale pending
Likely Maine, ca. 1800-1820
From a small body of work, among the very best in American Folk Art, by an unknown master carver. Others by this carver are the masterpieces: Wallbox in the American Museum of Folk Art; and the Small Chest pictured in AUTHENTIC EYE, FOLK ART MASTERPIECES by David Wheatcroft, and SHARED LEGACY, the Collection of Barbara Gordon, both publications also mentioning a plaque by this carver. See my image showing all three together. (The Barbara Gordon collection also has a wallbox similar to that in the museum).
The carving on this pine panel is all from one solid, standing well proud of panel in an eye-catching deep relief. The paint is bone-dry, never over vanished. The stylized carving is beautifully sensitive and sublime. Structurally exceptional, paint wear as shown, with touchup to the black ground and the blossoms. Robust (weighs several pounds). About 14 inches wide x 12 tall x 2 ¼ deep.
Originally purchased in the late 1980’s from the Portsmouth, NH dealer, Hollis Brodrick, before the wallboxes and small chest were “known”.
BOLD MINIATURE
PAINTED PROFILE PORTRAIT
Young Lady in Blue Dress
....SOLD
Northeast, ca. 1830.
Watercolor with graphite on wove paper.
The young lady shown in full profile, her hair up in a comb, with high-lace collar covering a blue dress. Initials of likely the sitter (IS) are included in a manner emulating the way pewter and some ceramics in this period were signed.
Superb condition with even toning. The molded frame, about 5 3/8 inches x 4 1/8) in black paint is terrific and likely original. Until recently six decades in a long time Northeast collection.
Singular High-Country Federal Mirror
Original Red Paint
.....SOLD
Imagine the fine early home or meeting house this glass was made for.
New England, possibly Connecticut, ca. 1820. Original very dry red paint on what appears to be pine. With an architectural, symmetrical aesthetic that reflects its Federal design. The glass centers stop-fluted pilasters supporting a beautifully scrolled crest the rides within dados of the side columns. The elements and dimensionality accentuated by the shadows cast.
The original chamfered backboard board retains the iron “points” that hold it in place. A photo of this mirror from an unidentified book is taped to the back.
Very high degree of originality with no cracks or repairs. The original glass is very thin, as mirror glass almost always was in this early period. The glass has losses as shown and a couple of small inconsequential “spiders”, likely in the making.
About 17 ¾ inches wide x 15 tall. .
Outstanding
Painted Gameboard
.....SOLD
Probably Northeast, ca. second half 19th century.
Original dry paint on a single pine board with breadboard ends joined with cut nails. Soft robin’s egg blue ground contrasting bold black stars and dividers which are the essence of the architecture of the game, without further distraction. Very nice back as well, showing highly patinated white or cream-colored paint.
Impressive size of about 32 inches x 20 x 5/8 thick. Terrific condition with superb surface. Flat without warping or cracks. From a private Midwest collection; pictured in situ previously in Antiques and Fine Art, 2013 (photo shown).
A stirring piece. Authentic 19th century antique yet with an equally contemporary presence..
Little Gem
Paint Decorated Box
.....SOLD
New England, ca. 1820-1840.
Elaborate red and mustard-yellow foliate design boldly and dynamically painted onto a black ground. The interior wallpapered. The surface with fine craquelure. Expected period wear and abrasions. Cut nail joinery. Retains original hinges and lock.
Just 8 ¼ inches wide x 4 ¾ deep x 4 tall.
Book-page copies found in the interior indicate two other boxes by the same hand: The “DB” box in the American Folk Art Museum, gifted by Howard and Jean Lipman; and the blue-green-white decorated box, from American Hurrah, pictured in Neat and Tidy by Nina Fletcher Little. .
Beautiful
Paint Decorated
Blanket Chest
Northeast, ca. 1830.
.....SOLD
Original bold paint decoration on white pine. Red ground, the front, sides, and top centered by mustard roundels, most enclosing green pinwheels, the boards edged by stylized mustard hearts and green leaves.
Note the Mason’s symbol just below the key hole!
The case is expertly dovetailed by a skilled cabinet-maker. Extensively glue-blocked underneath. Surfaces show substantial hand-planing tool marks.
The interior has a locking till, cleverly fitted with internal holes to hold pins matching those within a sliding drawer underneath, such the contents of the drawer may not be accessed if the till is locked.
Structural condition is superb. The stout pine boards remain square and straight. Original iron hinges; lock is gone. Chains added to the interior to prevent the lid from falling over backwards. Expert restoration of the under-the-lid molding strips on the front and one side, so well done that one struggles to find them. Paint wear, especially to the top and creases to the wood; minor paint touch-up on one foot.
Smaller size at just 39 ¼ inches at the widest-which is the overhanging lid. Case width 37 ½ inches wide x 20 deep.
Rare Ash Burl
Double-Bowl
One of only two known
Northeast, ca. 1760-1780
.....SOLD
Turned from one knot of densely figured ash burl, the upper bowl with an interior lip that extends into the lower to allow them to fit together. Both bowls footed. When flipped the cover can be used as a bowl of equal size to the base.
Unquestionably by the same hand as the example in the renowned Katcher collection, which has been described as an ingenious “American Treen Masterpiece” (more)
Striking Rare Inlaid Cherry Candlestand
Attributed to
NATHAN LUMBARD Worcester County, MA
ca. 1800.
Cherrywood, with serpentine-shaped top of figured cherrywood, with striped-inlaid hearts at the corners and centered by an inlaid pinwheel. The column features a deeply carved spiral fluted urn, supported by a tripod base with distinctive spurred knees.....