Painted in watercolor on natural wafer, this is a lovely portrait of an attractive young woman. The sitter, with a mass of reddish-brown curls and light brown eyes, is attired in a white dress with a restrained ruffles. She is not wearing any jewelry or other adornments, and is presented simply against a white background...

A beautiful portrait, by Gervase Spencer, of a striking young woman, painted in enamels on copper. Signed and dated "GS 1759" on the lower right. The subject of the painting, with brown hair and blue eyes, is clearly wealthy, attired in a blue gown with lace trim, and accessorized with pearl earrings, a pearl encrusted hair barrette, a pearl choker, and a long pearl necklace centered by a pearl, onyx and gold brooch...

Jean Baptiste Oudry original paintings on board of Hunting dogs signed and dated on reverse Oudry 1730 and each dog is named. Oudry accompanied Louis XV hunts and sketched on sight and later painted larger oils from these sketches. each measuring 16.5 x 21.5 cm.

Biography

Louis XV, king of France, often called Jean-Baptiste Oudry to Versailles to paint the royal hounds--in the king's presence...

A truly spectacular portrait miniature executed in watercolor on natural wafer. This is, by quite a few years, one of the earliest known pieces by Samuel Cotes. The painting is signed "SC" and dated "1756" at the center left. The sitter, clearly a nobleman, is seated in a chair as he plays a mandolin. It appears, from his expression and eyes, that the music is transporting him to some remembered or imagined place.

The condition of the painting is excellent...

A beautifully painted portrait miniature by William Naish, done in watercolor on natural wafer. The sitter is a nice-looking gentleman with brown eyes and powdered hair with a pigtail. He is attired in a blue jacket, a white ruffled shirt, an elaborately tied white scarf, all highlighted with a slash of brilliant red. The case is copper, of very high quality, of the type with side pins holding together the front and back...

A watercolor on natural material done by Nathaniel Plimer. The sitter is a somewhat older woman, with a pensive and somewhat sad mien about her. Set against a background with gradations of blue, she is simply dressed in a white gown and bonnet, accented with a pendant medallion on a black ribbon, and a gray belt.

The painting and the original bronze frame are in excellent condition with no flaws or restoration...

A fine silhouette done in black and bronze gilt, of an older woman. Although unsigned, the work was unquestionably done by John Field. The reverse of the gilt metal case, which comes with its silk lined red leather travel case, has elaborate and tightly woven hairwork of two colors, indicating that one of them was hers, while the other was of a loved one.

Both the miniature and the case are in excellent condition...

A finely painted portrait miniature of a young girl, presented in its original gilded case, the reverse with woven plaits of hair under glass. The sitter, who has a slight smile playing on her lips, has blue eyes and brownish-blonde hair, and is simply dressed in a white top.

The painting and the case are both in excellent condition with no issues at all. The case size is 1 5/8" by 1 3/8".

A fine miniature portrait painted on natural wafer by Alexander Gallaway. The sitter is a distinguished gentleman with a white wig, and attired in a tan jacket, cream vest, and white shirt. Framed in a 15 karat gold case with half moon and dot work on the border of the reverse side.

The condition of the case and painting is excellent, with no flaws...

A wonderful miniature portrait, on natural material, painted and signed lower left, by Peter Lens. The sitter, a young woman in a yellow gown and white fichu, is shown against a startling blue background.

The condition of the miniature is excellent with no problems or flaws. The white area at the lower edge is light reflection...

A historically important Christian Friedrich Zincke portrait miniature of Edward Walpole. The painting, done in enamel on copper, depicts Walpole in a powdered wig, and wearing a blue velvet jacket with a white shirt and lace jabot. As to be expected from Zincke, the painting is superbly done...

A finely painted miniature portrait, done in watercolor on organic substrate, by Pierre Henri. Done against a blue background, the sitter, a nice looking young gent with blue eyes and hair en queue, is wearing a brown coat with yellow lining.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no bowing, cracks, paint loss, or restoration...

A fine painting of a youth, signed and dated "P. Jean 1789" on the right side. The sitter is dressed in a red jacket with a white ruff. The reverse of the gold case has interwoven plaits of hair under glass.

There are no condition issues with the painting or the case. The discoloration along the top of the painting is light reflection. The size is 2" by 1 1/2".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Philippe Jean (1755-1802)was born in Saint Ouen, Jersey, the son of Nicholas Jean and Marie Grandin. He was at fi...

A superb pair of miniature portrait paintings done by Joseph Dunkerley. Labels on the reverse of each case identify the sitters as Joseph Packwood and Denise Wright Packwood, and are dated 1780.

Mrs. Packwood is wearing a large white hat with a blue ribbon and accents, a light blue gown with flowers embroidered on it and with dark lace edging at the bodice. Her husband is wearing a blue jacket and waistcoat, and a white cravat.

Excellent and scarce examples, and in fine condition. The gold...

A striking miniature portrait, done in watercolor on natural material, by George Place. The subject, set against a clouded and blue background, is a handsome gray haired officer of light dragoons, dressed in uniform.

The miniature is in superb condition, with no cracks, chips, warping, paint loss, or restoration. The case is also in excellent condition, with a fully glazed back over fabric. On the back glass, at the edge at 10:30 there is a small chip in the underside. The case size is 3" by...

A fine miniature of a handsome gent with strawberry blond hair, painted by Henry Jacob Burch. Adding to the desirability of this example is the Burch trade card that was fitted to the back of the painting, rarely seen in his works.

Excellent condition, with an overall size of 2 3/4" by 2 1/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Henry Jacob Burch was born in London in 1763. He entered the Royal Academy Schools at the age of 16, and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1787 to 1834. Examples of his wor...

An extremely fine watercolor and gouache on organic substrate miniature portrait done by Henry Benbridge, painted in his crisp, realistic style. The sitter is attired in a blue coat and a white ruffled shirt and collar, the fabrics of which are carefully and richly depicted, a characteristic of Benbridge's work. The surround to the painting is gold, while the original case, with a pin on the reverse, is gold filled.

Both the painting and the case are in excellent condition. The sight size of t...

A beautifully painted miniature on natural wafer of a very attractive woman. The sitter is in a white gown with lace edging, presented in a straightforward manner, unadorned with jewelry, preferring to let her natural beauty speak to the viewer.

There are no condition issues to speak of, with the darker area below her bust line intentionally painted in that manner. Housed in a red leather case without glazing, the size is 2 3/4" by 2 1/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Samuel Shelley (1750/56–1...

A watercolor on organic natural wafer of a somewhat older woman wearing a blue jacket with fur edging, a pearl choker, and a rust colored cap with lace. The unusual characteristics of the piece are the hand decorated paper surround and that the painting is in a frame that slides into a close fitting leather case.

The condition of the painting is excellent, with no issues, while the case has exterior wear but is structurally sound. Sight size is 2: by 1 5/8", and the case is 2 7/8" by 2 1/8"

A beautifully painted miniature portrait by Elkanah Tisdale. The sitter is a handsome older man dressed in a black coat. The painting measures 2 3/4" by 2 1/4", and is in superb condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, paint loss, or restoration. It is housed in its original gilt metal insert.

Few miniatures by Tisdale are known to exist, and with very rare exception, are, as is the case here, unsigned.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Elkanah Tisdale (1771 - 1835) was born in CT and then moved ...

A watercolor on organic wafer, painted by John Smart, and initialed lower left, along with the date of 1797. The sitter is a young woman with brown curls and eyes. She is attired in a green and blue feathered cap, a white gown with lace on the collar, and a green sash.

The brushwork is impeccable, the texture and blush of the skin, the details of the eyes, the clarity of each hair, and the overall luminescence of this painting are stunning. Even when compared to the vast majority of Sma...

A nicely painted and early miniature portrait of a man done in watercolor on natural organic material. The blue-eyed sitter is a nice-looking gentleman fashionably attired in a full, long wig, a blue loose fitting robe, and white ruffled shirt.

One of the interesting things about this piece is that the original gold case is of a type known as a "slide case". The top protuberance is attached to a small sheet of metal (in this case gold), and when a little knob is pushed, the sheet can slide com...

A wonderfully painted miniature portrait, on natural organic material, of a young gentleman in a brown coat. The miniature is housed in its original gold bezel and brooch, with an elaborate monogram in gold on the reverse. The overall size is 2" by 1 5/8", and the painting and case are in excellent condition, with no problems. The discoloration in the photos is due to light refraction during scanning.

This piece was sold in 1966 by Charles Woollett, a highly respected London art dealer, and wa...

Francoise Boucher Attr or School of : Cupids in Landscape: Pair 18th C French. This pair of oils on canvas is lovely in the quality of painting and the charming subject matter. Each panel is 28"w by 64"h. They had hinges on them as a standing screen but were later used as hanging panels. They are from a prominent french family who brought them to the USA.

A fine miniature portrait on natural wafer, done en grisaille in watercolor and ink against a blue background. The sitter, an older woman wearing a lace cap and fichu, is beautifully limned in profile, an uncommon approach. Housed in a gold plated metal frame with fabric on the reverse.

There are no condition problems with the painting, which measures 2 1/2" in diameter.

PROVENANCE: The well-known Dr. Leo Catzenstein Collection, and thence to his descendants.

A nice example of a miniature portrait, painted by Nathaniel Hancock on organic material. The sitter is a woman in a blue gown with a lace edged bodice. The gold case has chamfered glass on the front, and the reverse identifies the sitter as "Ridgely 1791."

The condition of this little gem is very fine, with no flaws to speak of. There was some minimal clean-up of a few painting drips in the background. Overall size is 1 3/4" by 1 1/2".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Information about Hancock is rel...

A well painted miniature portrait done by Charles Robertson. The subject is a bewigged blue-eyed gentleman of striking visage, posed in a blue and gold jacket. The miniature is presented in a silver case with silver scrollwork. The reverse of the case has the impressed mark "L.V".

The condition of the painting and the case is excellent. Sight size is 1 1/2" by 1 1/4", with an overall case size of 2 1/4" by 1 1/2".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Charles Robertson (c1760-1821)was born in Dublin and ...

Painted by Samuel Shelley, this is a beautifully limned portrait miniature of a British officer. The epaulette being on the left shoulder, instead of on the more usual right, indicates that the sitter was in a cavalry regiment of the British army. That, taken with other characteristics of the uniform show him to be with the heavy dragoons. The white facings and silver buttons allow the identification to be narrowed down to the 3rd Irish Horse Regiment which, in 1788, became the 6th Dragoon Guar...

A very fine bust-length depiction done in watercolor on organic wafer. The sitter, a nice looking young gentleman, is attired in a blue waistcoat, a tan and red pin-striped vest, and a white cravat. The painting is signed "Peat" at the left edge, and an old inscribed label attached verso identifies sitter as "Lord Halifax II". This attribution of the sitter must be incorrect as the dating of any Halifax lords is inconsistent and much later than when the painting was done.Housed under glass in a...

A beautifully rendered miniature painting, on natural organic material, by John Barry. The sitter is an attractive and stately woman with the mass-like appearance of her hair that is one of the characteristics of Barry's work. The casework is as fine as the painting, with the miniature set in a gold bezel, and the reverse with foil backed blue glass surrounding a display of tightly woven hair.

Both the painting and the case are in excellent condition, with no losses or restoration. Overall siz...

Joseph (Jusepe) Ribera, Spanish, 1588-1656. This exquisite portrait of a boy brings to mind Caravaggio. It is oil on canvas and signed faintly with the Monogram J R lower right. It is in good condition, has been relined long ago, and is 34.2cm H by 23.1cm H. It is in an antique frame with outer dimensions of 47.3cm W by 36.8cm H. Paintings by ribera sell for up to 4.5 Million USD.

A beautiful watercolor on organic material attributed to the hand of William Grimaldi. The subject of this work of art is an older gentleman wearing a blue coat, yellow vest, and ruffled stock, and shown against a beclouded sky background. Housed in a gold filled case.

The condition of the miniature and its case is excellent, with no problems. The overall size is 3" by 2 3/8".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: William Grimaldi (1751 - 1830) was born in England and was the son of Alexander Grimaldi and...

A nice miniature painting done, in watercolor on natural material, by Ebenezer Mack. The sitter is dressed in a black jacket, and a white vest, shirt, and stock. Housed in its original gold case.

Although all of Mack's works are quite naïvely rendered, this example is even more primitive than most, indicating that it was done quite early in his career, probably in the 1785 time frame. His works are very rare, and he did not sign his paintings. His works have a similarity in some cases to tho...

A beautifully painted watercolor on natural wafer, with a very strong attribution to John Barry as the artist. The sitter is an attractive woman with brown eyes and gray-brown hair cascading down her shoulder. She is wearing a dark blue velvet bow in her hair, a gauzy white fichu, and a blue dress with fine white lines and small white dots.

The painting is in superb condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, or restoration. The sight size is 2" by 1 1/2" and the gold case is 2 3/16" by 1 3/4"....

A superb double silhouette on natural organbic material, in a cast foliate locket, by John Field. One side is of a woman, the other of a man, wearing spectacles (highly unusual) and both are signed "John Field 111 Strand" along the lower edge of the bust line. These paintings display the finely executed bronzed work that was a hallmark of Field's.

The sight size is 1 1/2" by 1 1/4". The condition of the paintings and case is excellent, with no apologies needed.

NOTE: The following are excerp...

Dirck Verhaert, Dutch, 17th C. Oil on Panel of landscape with castle and people in foreground and river and town in background. Height 10.4 in.; Width 20.1 in. / Height 26.4 cm.; Width 51.1 cm.