Lot 234: Attributed to Micah Williams (New Jersey and New York, 1782-1837) Portrait of a Child Seated in a Paint-de...

Attributed to Micah Williams (New Jersey and New York, 1782-1837)

Portrait of a Child Seated in a Paint-decorated Windsor Chair. Unsigned. Pastel on paper, c. 1820, depicting the child with blue-gray eyes wearing a white ruffled bonnet, white dress, and gold beaded necklace, seated in a Windsor chair with yellow decoration, holding a peach, sight size 20 1/2 x 16 in., in a period black and gilt eglomise mat and molded giltwood frame, the reverse of the frame and backing boards bear remnants of newspaper. Condition: Tears u.r., u.l. and l.l., light stains to upper corners.

Literature: This lot resembles another portrait of a child portrayed sitting in a painted chair and holding a peach with similar background color. It is illustrated in Small Folk: A Celebration of Childhood in America, by Sandra Brant and Elissa Cullman, E.P. Dutton, publisher, New York, 1980, p. 75.

Note: Micah Williams worked mainly in pastels, working in the vicinity of Monmouth County, New Jersey. He usually lined the pastel paper with newspaper, as was done in this example.