$336,000
Portrait Miniature of George Washington, Robert Field (American, born in England, c. 1769-1819), signed and dated "RF 1801" l.r. Watercolor on ivory, c. 1801, oval bust-length portrait portraying Washington in his General's uniform, 2 3/4 x 2 1/4 in., encased in an oval gilt-brass locket, the reverse with a plaited lock of George Washington's hair overlaid with "GW" cipher in gilt foil in a small oval glass compartment, further housed in a hinged oval red leather case. Condition: Very good. Note: Robert Field, a portrait painter, miniature painter, and engraver enjoyed success in his time, but fell into relative obscurity following his early death in 1819, according to Field scholar Harry Piers. Born in England in 1769, Field spent time in Nova Scotia and throughout the American Northeast, painting important local and national figures: judges, generals, merchants, and politicians. He painted hundreds of portraits, and was one of the most highly sought after American miniaturists of his time. It is no wonder then, that in 1800 Martha Washington herself commissioned Field to paint a group of miniatures as mementoes for friends and family, meant to commemorate the revered General and President on the one-year anniversary of his death. As Piers tells us, two groups of miniatures of George Washington were produced by Field at Martha's request in late 1800, the first group showing him in civilian dress, the second as general in full uniform. While the first group is compri Read more…
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2009-02-15
