Watercolor, c. 1800.

Ex. Richard Wright.

This charming full portrait of a toddler boy of wealthy parents has all the ingredients of a delightful keepsake. The back closing gown, blue sash and hair combed forward show that this is a boy. The red shoes and banister back child’s chair distinguish him as a child of means. He probably lived close to a major American city in the Northeast. The ankle length gown means that he could walk but was not yet ready for breeches.

Condition: Very good. Laid down on old cardstock, small horizontal tear at top center edge about 1 “ long, overall toning.

Dimensions: 7 ½" x 5 ½" (painting).

1,900

William Matthew Prior (1806-1873) was an itinerant artist who first earned his living by traveling throughout New England painting portraits. In 1840, he established a studio in Boston with his brother-in-law Sturtevant Hamblin. Together, they produced portraits in direct competition with the emerging daguerreotype. Known as the Prior-Hamblin school, works from this studio are prized for their consistent style and quality.

Condition: Excellent. Oil on board with no evidence of prior conservation.

Produced at the Prior-Hamblin studio in Boston. Recently acquired in Massachusetts.

Dimensions: 12" x 14 1/2" (frame).

6,800

Striking watercolor of raspberries created with stencil and freehand painting. New England, c. 1840-1860.

Mounted in a silver gilt frame of the same period.

Dimensions: 8 1/4" x 11" (frame).

725

Attributed to Joseph Hidley, this naive landscape depicts a serene view of a river. The salmon luminous sky, pair of figures in the center, house, bystander all contribute to the attribution.

According to Warren Broderick, a Rensselaer County, NY historian, author and expert on Joseph Hidley: "It's a Hidley. An early one (1850s). It's one of his pastoral landscapes that was probably meant to depict an imaginary American landscape, seeing that it has no castles or chalets in it as a European scene of his would have."

Dimensions: 18"x24"(painting).

SOLD

Oil on canvas, unsigned, c. 1850. Naive painting by an itinerant artist of the Hudson River School tradition. Canvas primed by the artist.

The painting is in an excellent state of preservation. No craquelature, yet no evidence of prior conservation. Our conservator, Fred Kozsewnik, performed gentle cleaning to remove the discolored natural resin varnish plus accumulated airborne soot and grime. He then applied a protective varnish and performed minimal inpainting and properly mounted the painting in the frame.

From an estate in Chester County, PA.

Dimensions: 24" x 32" (painting).

2,300

From the Hudson River School Naive tradition, this river scene depicts the Old Croton Aqueduct High Bridge, ca 1850, shortly after completion. The famous bridge, 114 ft tall, spans the Harlem River in New York City. The original bridge consisted of fifteen stone arches. The center portion was replaced by steel in 1927 and is still in use today. From a Rockport, Maine home.

Excellent condition with minimal craquelature, stable surface and good varnish. Recent relining, cleaning and inpainting.

Dimensions: 24"h x 30"w (painting).

1,700