Lot 515: JOHN RITTO PENNIMAN (AMERICAN 1782-1841). PORTRAIT

JOHN RITTO PENNIMAN (AMERICAN 1782-1841). PORTRAIT OF THREE CHILDREN WITH BUGLE, DRUM AND CART, THOUGHT TO BE FROM THE DOWNES FAMILY OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, 1835. The foreground depicting a lush landscape of trees and flora, set against the backdrop of a harbor scene with ship and lighthouse, probably Boston Light. Trees at either side are hung with three birdcages, one of which has been opened allowing the birds to fly free. Additional symbols of flight appear in the sky over the children's heads- a kite, hot air balloon, and a parachute.Watercolor on paper, 10 x 16 1/2 inches. Signed and dated "1835/ Pinxt April/ by JR Penniman" l.r. The carriage decoratively painted with the initials R, L/G?, M, and D within medallions. In original lemon gold molded frame.The return of Halley's Comet was a much anticipated event in 1835. Edward Halley first saw the comet in 1682, identified it in 1705 and through calculations, predicted its recurring appearance every 75-76 years. Although he did not live to see its return in 1758, his predictions proved correct. Historical records now trace sightings of the comet back to medieval and ancient times. The comet's reappearance in 1835 would have been only its second occurrence since Halley's discovery and as such, focused a great deal of attention on the sky. By including symbols of flight, Penniman, known for his humor and clever designs, was commemorating a memorable event in the life of the children he portrayed.The sitters are thought to be the children of Ephraim (1806-1876) and Sarah Bredeen Downes of Roxbury and Boston. Their first son, George Washington Downes, born in 1829, would be the eldest child in the portrait. The International Genealogical Index records that he had two brothers, Ephraim, born in 1832, and Daniel, born in 1834, both of whom died in 1837. The Downes may have been related to the family of Ephraim Downs, a clockmaker, from Bristol, Connecticut.Provenance: Descended in the family of the sitters; acquired from a descendent in Chelsea, Massachusetts.Literature: For a discussion of the artist's life and work, see Carol Damon Andrews, "John Ritto Penniman (1782-1841), An Ingenious New England Artist," THE MAGAZINE ANTIQUES, July 1981, pp. 147-170. A related, but smaller Penniman watercolor portrait of a child, Ann Elizabeth Crehore, in the collection of Nina Fletcher Little and illustrated in "Little by Little," p. 154, fig. 205, sold at Sotheby's New York, January 29, 1994, lot 339 and again recently, January 20, 2007, lot 70.