American Portrait Miniatures: Eighteenth Century

Listed in chronological order by the date of each painting
Click photos for larger views and additional information

Early American Lady Wearing a
Lace Bonnet with a Blue Ribbon

American
circa 1770
artist unknown*

1 x 1 3/16 inches

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass** in a gold brooch

Formerly a holding of the collection of Dr. and Mrs. Michael A. Abrams of Baltimore, Maryland

*It has been suggested that this miniature might be by John Singleton Copley.

**The glass lens has experienced an unfortunate scratch, visible from the subject's forehead to the top of her bonnet, causing shadowing on the image below.

Early American Gentleman
Wearing a Dark Tan Coat and Vest

American
circa 1770-1775
Attributed to Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827)

1 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gilt metal pendant frame

Formerly a holding of the Comerford Collection (John and Pauline Comerford) and exhibited May - September, 2009, at the Irish Architectural Archive, Dublin, Ireland

Early American Lady in a Blue Dress
and Wearing a Black Bow and Pearls in Her Hair

American
circa 1775-1780
Attributed to Benjamin Blyth (1746-1787)

1 5/16 x 1 5/8 inches

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a gilt metal case
originally fitted to a bracelet and later converted to a brooch

Capt. Thomas Watt (1756-1839)
of the 71st Regiment of Foot of the British Army
during the American Revolutionary War

Anglo-American
circa 1777/1778
by Joseph Dunckerley (1752-1806)

1 3/16 x 1 7/16 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a gold case with brooch pin,
engraved to the reverse, "L'amitie en fait le prix" (French for "friendship pays the price")

Early American Lady Wearing an
Ecru Colored Dress with a Lace Neckline

American
circa 1780
Artist Unknown

1 3/8 x 1 7/8 inches

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a gilt metal
case intended to be worn as a pendant

Miss Hepzibah Hall (1764-1836),
Later Mrs. John Browne Fitch
of Medford, Massachusetts

Anglo-American
circa 1780-1785
by Joseph Dunckerley (1752-1806)

1 x 1 5/16 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a gold case with brooch pin

Religious Figure of Spanish Colonial Louisiana

Spanish-American
circa 1780-1785
artist unknown

2 1/2 x 3 inches

watercolor on ivory; housed in a sterling silver case with a burnished gold bezel

Early American Lady Wearing
Feathers and Jewels in Her Hair

American
circa 1785
by Ebenezer Mack (1755-1826)

1 1/4 x 1 11/16 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gold pendant frame with britecut engraving to the reverse

Late Eighteenth Century Gentleman, Wearing
a Blue Coat over a Gold-Colored Waistcoat

American
circa 1785-1790
by Ebenezer Mack (1755-1826)

1 3/8 x 2 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gold pendant frame with britecut engraving to the reverse

Killian K. Van Rensselaer (1763-1845;
Later a U. S. Representative, New York, 1801-1811),
Painted at the Age of 22

American
dated 1785
by John Ramage (ca. 1748-1802)

1 x 1 1/2 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in original gold bezel,
further set in a later (ca. 1820), gilded copper bracelet case with
the following engraving to the reverse: "K. K. V. R. / 1785"

Early American Gentleman

Anglo-American
circa 1785
by Joseph Dunckerley (1752-1806)

1 1/2 x 1 7/8 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in an elaborate gold brooch
with a blue enamel surround, a border of 79 pearls
and britecut engraving to the reverse

Early American Gentleman

Anglo-American
circa 1785
by Joseph Dunckerley (1752-1806)

1 5/16 x 1 3/4 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a gilded copper pendant frame

Early American Gentleman
with the Initials "W.W."

Anglo-American
circa 1785-1786
by Joseph Dunckerley (1752-1806)

1 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gold brooch with britecut
engraving along the edges, additional elaborate britecut engraving
to the reverse, and a glazed, navette-shaped compartment to the
reverse with plaited hair and a gold cipher fashioned into the initials "W.W."

(photographed without its glass lens in place, so as to
allow a clearer view of the portrait)

Federalist Era Gentleman (Possibly a Ship's Captain)
Wearing a Double Breasted Coat with Gold Buttons

American
circa 1785-1790
by Nathaniel Hancock (1762-1833)

1 1/4 x 1 3/4 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a cartridge-edged, gold case

Late Eighteenth Century Lady
Wearing a Bonnet

Anglo-American
circa 1787-1790
by Joseph Dunckerley (1752-1806)

1 9/16 x 1 15/16 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gold brooch frame
with britecut engraving and plated hair to the reverse

(photographed without its glass lens in place, so as to
allow a clearer view of the portrait)

John Clapham (1735-1815), British Loyalist and
Colonial Era Official of the Province of Maryland
(identified by detailed family notes that accompany the miniature)

American
circa 1789-1790
by Pierre Henri (1752-1822)

1 1/2 x 2 inches

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gold brooch with beveled glass lens

Federalist Era Gentleman Wearing a Brown Coat
with Gold and Cream Colored Facings

American
circa 1790
by Nathaniel Hancock (1762-1833)

1 1/8 x 1 5/8 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a gold case

Federalist Era Gentleman
Wearing a Brown Coat

American
circa 1790-1795
by Ebenezer Mack (1755-1826)

1 1/2 x 2 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gilt metal pendant frame

Federalist Era Lady Wearing a
Blue Dress with a White Lace Bustline

American
circa 1790
attributed to Pierre Henri (1752-1822)

1 3/8 x 1 3/4 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gold brooch

Federalist Era Gentleman Wearing
a Russet Coat and Gold Vest with Stripes

American
circa 1790
by John Ramage (ca. 1748-1802)

1 1/4 x 1 5/8 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a later (not original to the portrait) gilt metal pendant frame

Federalist Era Gentleman with the Initials "JW"

American
circa 1790
possibly by William Verstille (ca. 1757-1803)

1 7/8 x 2 1/4 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gilded copper case with a glazed compartment to the reverse
housing a script monogram and wheat motif painted on ivory with watercolor and chopped hair

Lieutenant of the British Royal Navy
Painted in the British West Indies

Anglo-American
circa 1790-1795
by Joseph Dunckerley (1752-1806)

1 7/8 x 2 1/4 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gilded copper pendant frame

(photographed without its glass lens in place, so as to
allow a clearer view of the portrait)

Federalist Era Lady of the Ridgely Family

American
circa 1791
by Nathaniel Hancock (1762-1833)

1 1/4 x 1 5/8 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed under beveled glass (removed for the photo)
in a gold case with "Ridgely / 1791" engraved to the reverse

Young, Federalist Era Gentleman

American
circa 1794
by Elkanah Tisdale (1768-1835)

2 1/8 x 2 5/8 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a gold case, with a
glazed compartment to the reverse containing plaited hair

Young, Federalist Era Gentleman

American
circa 1795
by Archibald Robertson (1765-1835)

1 1/2 x 2 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a gold case

Federalist Era Gentleman
with Connections to Freemasonry

American
circa 1795
by Isaac Sanford (1763-1842)

1 5/8 x 2 1/4 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gold case with hairwork
and Masonic iconography to the reverse

Federalist Era Gentleman
with Powdered Hair

American
circa 1795
by Walter Robertson (ca. 1750-1801/1802)

2 5/16 x 2 7/8 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gilt metal case with bright cut engraving
to the reverse, and plaited hair in a compartment to the reverse

James Dunckerley (1728-1802),
Georgian Era Jeweler and Father of the Artist

Anglo-American
circa 1795-1802
by Joseph Dunckerley (1752-1806)

1 7/8 x 2 3/8 inches

watercolor on ivory; currently unframed;
inscribed to the reverse: "James Dunckerley / born 1728 / died 1802"

Unknown Federalist Era Gentleman
Depicted with a Sky Background

American
circa 1795-1800
in the manner of Raphaelle Peale (1774-1825)

2 1/2 x 2 7/8 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gilt metal case with plaited hair in a compartment to the reverse

Federalist Era Gentleman with the Initials "MK"

American
circa 1795-1800
by Nathaniel Hancock (1762-1833)

1 1/8 x 1 3/8 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a rose gold brooch with britecut and prick engraved borders
to the obverse and reverse, and the monogrammed initials "MK" engraved to the reverse

Unknown Federalist Era Gentleman
with Blue Eyes and Powdered Hair

American
circa 1796
by Lawrence Sully (1769-1804)

1 3/4 x 2 3/16 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a gilt metal case with plaited hair in a compartment to the reverse

John Duryea (1789-1859) of Hempstead, Long Island,
New York, Painted in 1797, at the Age of 8

American
dated 1797
Artist Unknown -- Early American Folk School

1 5/8 x 2 1/16 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed in a double sided gilt metal locket frame
with interwoven hair of two individuals (perhaps John and his mother?) to the reverse

Sarah Scoville née Eliot (Mrs. John Scoville;
1772-1852), of Albany New York

American
dated 1798
by Elkanah Tisdale (1768-1835)

3/4 x 1 1/4 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a later (circa 1850) gold locket case

Federalist Era Gentleman
with Powdered Hair

American
circa 1798
by Elkanah Tisdale (1768-1835)

2 x 2 1/2 inches (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a gold case

Federalist Era American Lady
Holding a Baby in Her Arms

American
circa 1798-1800
by Elkanah Tisdale (1768-1835)

3 5/16 inches diameter

watercolor on ivory; pictured here unframed

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