Featured Unknown - unsigned somewhat miniature painting

Another piece I'm wondering about. I received several nice pieces of art from a friend and but they knew nothing about it an neither do I. This is a small - maybe 6x8 inch painting done on a hard white sheet (porcelain?) about 1-2/16th of an inch thick. The painting was so fine I removed it from the shown frame to make sure it wasn't a print. The detail is amazingly fine. I'd describe it as a miniature painting but it's bigger than some miniatures I've seen before. As best I can tell the painting is unsigned. It came in the shown (heavy) metal (brass?) frame. Love to know who the fella is also - but unless he famous... I know - not much odds on that. Thanks.

 

Your thumbnails will not enlarge for me. Go back to your post, seect 'edit' at bottom of post, and select full size images.

 

Indeed a beautiful piece. The face is beautifully detailed. Whoever the artist was he knew what he/she was doing so it could be worth researching. Looks British to me but could be wrong, wait for second opinions.


If it is British than maybe the first and best way to research this is trough the National Portrait Gallery.

http://www.npg.org.uk/research/

 

It's beautiful and I love it!!! Did you start to clean it or did someone else??

 

No cleaning - the painting is taped to glass - those are just reflections.

 

Is that 10 shillings marked in pencil on the back? Could the panel be ivory?
Agree it's a very well painted portrait that an expert perhaps could identify the artist by style.

 

it will be a difficult one. You've said it is painted on porcelain! Painters also copied photographs! In the late 19C and early 20C many photographs were sent from the United States to France, Germany, and possibly Italy, to be copied as painted miniatures on ivory or porcelain. Many artists also made many miniature copies of large oil portraits by other artists. If you bought this in America than keep in mind that many American miniatures are unsigned, some are also close in style to British or European painters, which is not surprising as many painters emigrated to America. Thus it can be difficult to attribute miniatures to specific artists, or even to the country of origin.

 

Good eye!! Didn't even see that. So maybe British?

 

OK 10 Shillings is helpful.
I don't know what material its painted on. Given it's size I didn't think it would be ivory - like I said - maybe 5x8 inches (I'll measure later today). How would I determine what it is? In terms of thickness - again - it's about 1/16th or maybe 1.5/16th of an inch thick (the white hard material it's painted on). Yes, the detail of the painting is amazing to me too!

 

I'm not saying you should do this!! I'm only saying what I would do to determine which material its painted on!

If it was my piece than I would heat up a needle and search for a area on the piece which will not come sight and lightly touch it with the red hot needle and smell it. If I would smell something like burned hair than I would know its ivory, if I would smell nothing than I would assume its porcelain.

Maybe others members here have better ideas. Wait for second opinions.

 

Hi Antiquer,
Please stop using the hot needle for a test. So many things have been marred or ruined by that test. The last time I tried it was in 1950 something. It was a piece of celluloid and it burst into flames and really burned my one finger. There are so many tests that will not cause damage. Cutting into metal to see if it silver or plate is another nono to me. I have a large metal vase that says "special metal" It looks like silver, it polishes like silver it has 17 cut marks on the base from people believing it was silver. I hate any type of testing that leaves marks.
greg

 

gregsglass what methods should I use?

 

I'm open to suggestions. Never to old to learn. What would you suggest on how to test on ivory? I think I'm now so far in my knowledge to distinguish certain materials from others without using the needle test but don't know how far JTiis is on that mater. He can also send it to a laboratory and pay the bill .

I was just saying what I would do! I would hold it to the side or such not even a half second is enough to get the smell. If you do it correctly than you will have no damage. The side will not even come in sight from what I can see and if its ivory than you could polish the side up again. Happens every day

 

People, stay away from the hot needle. This is an order.

I posted this before in another thread:
You can recognise elephant ivory by even-sized lines of more and less yellow/whitish tones, and cross-hatching of these lines in parts:


So you test by using your eyes.
Of course ivorine often has those lines as well, but only to show the lines, not to cover them up with a lovely painted miniature. And to my knowledge it doesn't have the cross-hatching.

 

I'd guess the glass needs cleaning and would allow for better photos. Any harm is removing the tape and shooting new shots. It seems someone has already done something like this as the black tape is there...

 

Hi,
There are photographs that were printed on opaque white glass. I can not think of the name at the moment and then hand painted. I think I see that on his coat. I think the technique is called opalotype or something like that.
greg

 

have a look at this website. I think it will help you with your search to determine if its a copy, fake or original .

Very educative.

http://miniature-portrait.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Hi,
A 6" by 8" is not really a miniature and no one should compare the two. This looks like a photo that has been 'painted" to give it color. It was done very often and the photo developed onto a glass backing before touch up.
greg

 

STOP USING HOT NEEDLES!!! Yes, I'm yelling. Jiminy, that's the worst thing to tell someone. Whoever told you that should be boiled in oil

 

Show the back of the piece. If you can, get a good, sharp close-up of a corner. Given the thickness, I would guess its on card, of which there are any number of varieties. A good picture might tell the tale.