Abraham Parsell Miniature Portrait of a Young Woman c1830
Directory: Hidden: Viewable: Pre 1837 VR: Item # 1320037
Please refer to our stock # a1479 when inquiring.
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A charming naive portrait miniature of an attractive wasp-waisted young woman, painted by Abraham Parsell. The sitter is wearing a puffy-sleeved velvet trimmed black dress, gold earrings and a gold long chain necklace. The background, of a type used by and associated with Parsell, is done in an interesting pattern of grays and white. The miniature is housed in a dag case.
The condition of the painting is excellent, with no cracks or painting restoration. The piece of organic material is uncracked and slightly uneven at the edges, which does not show, being under the metal case insert. Sight size is 2 1/8" by 1 5/8", and the closed case size is 3" by 2 1/2".
NOTE: Abraham Parsell (1792 - 1856) was a popular American folk miniature painter, born in Neshanic, New Jersey in 1791. He was the child of Oliver Parsell and Lucretia Williamson Parsell. Parsell married Mary Richards in New Jersey in 1819, and moved to Manhattan, living there from from 1820 to 1856. This was unusual in that he chose to stay in NY, competing with many fine miniaturists, rather than follow an itinerant route.
Examples of Abraham Parsell's work are in the collections of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum and the New Jersey Historical Society, among many others.
An excellent article by Vincent DiCicco and Howard P. Fertig appeared in the eighth anniversary issue of the magazine "Antiques and Fine Art". Prior to the completion of this article, Mr. Fertig had discussed Parsell's works with us, and we had provided him with a picture and information about one of Parsell's earliest pieces, which we had owned, and which he then referenced in the article.