$4,113
Attributed to Mr. Willson (Probably New Hampshire, 19th Century) Portrait of a Gentleman. Unsigned. Watercolor and gouache on paper, c. 1825, depicting a bust-length portrait of the brown-haired gentleman, wearing a double-breasted brown jacket, blue pinstriped white vest, white shirt and cravat, 22 x 17 1/4 in., in a molded giltwood frame. Condition: Toning, tears, creases, repairs, edge losses. Note: According to Paul S. D'Ambrosio and Charlotte M. Emans in Folk Art's Many Faces: Portraits in the New York State Historical Association, an elusive artist by the name of Mr. Willson did portraits with a New Hampshire provenance. The subjects "are depicted in bust-length, three quarter view, with their bodies turned to the right, against a neutral background. Facial features- the profile nose, upper eyelid and mouth are delineated with a single line of paint...ears are rendered as oval shapes with a heavily shadowed inner ear," as can be seen in this example. He also often highlighted the facial features in white, but in this example his shirt collar and cravat are highlighted. Other examples of Willson's work can be found in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. the Currier Art Gallery, Manchester, New Hampshire, the Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont, and in private collections. Provenance: Judy and Jim Milne, New York, 1974.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2007-02-18
