Lot 87: Portrait Miniature of William Greenleaf, attributed to John Ramage (Irish/American, 1748-1802), c. 1778, watercolor and gouache on ivor

Portrait Miniature of William Greenleaf, attributed to John Ramage (Irish/American, 1748-1802), c. 1778, watercolor and gouache on ivory, depicting the gentleman wearing a blue jacket with brass buttons, 1 3/4 x 1 3/8 in., in an oval gilt copper case. Condition: Some pigment smudges on right edge, minute paint loss c.l. background.

Provenance: By family descent. This portrait is reportedly a likeness of William Greenleaf, the second of fifteen children born to Honorable William Greenleaf (b. January 10, 1725, d. July 21, 1803) and Mary Brown (b. March 15, 1727, d. December 1, 1807). He was born in Boston on February 5, 1760, and died November 24, 1778, at the age of 18. He was the brother of Rebecca Greenleaf, who married Noah Webster, notable American lexicographer, editor, publisher, essayist, and editor, and also the great-great-great-grandfather of the consignor.
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