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19th century silhouette, hollow-cut and watercolor; ca. 1820-1830.
19th century silhouette, hollow-cut and watercolor; ca. 1820-1830.
19th century silhouette, hollow-cut and watercolor; ca. 1820-1830.

Rare, early 19th century hollow-cut and watercolor silhouette of a gentlemen, ca. 1820-1830. His head is hollow-cut and in profile, with inked hair. His body, in contrast to his head, faces front. His period clothes are in watercolor, with a short coat with gently curved bright blue lapels, a high collared shirt, and cravat.  He is posed in a brightly colored yellow “fancy chair”.  He is identified on the back as “Hiram Gates”. A genealogical search uncovered several members of the Gates family in Centre County, PA, with Hiram listed as one of them.  Original, period molded frame.  The body of the silhouette is in very fine condition and the colors remain vibrant. There is a small area of discoloration in the upper right corner; a crease on the lower left that transects his right arm.  Dimensions:  sight 3.5” x 4 3/8”; frame 5” x 5.75”.

early 19th c. double silhouettes of a sister and brother. Hollow-cut, watercolor, pen & ink.
early 19th c. double silhouettes of a sister and brother. Hollow-cut, watercolor, pen & ink.
early 19th c. double silhouettes of a sister and brother. Hollow-cut, watercolor, pen & ink.
early 19th c. double silhouettes of a sister and brother. Hollow-cut, watercolor, pen & ink.

Early 19th c. Double Silhouette Portraits of Charles Bodurtha (1828) and C.C. (Cornelia) Bodurtha (1826).  Hollow-cut, watercolor, and pen and ink. The young girl wears a pink dress with ruffles on the neckline and sleeves. She is facing her brother who appears to be wearing a light blue skeleton suit. The portraits are enclosed in sawtooth borders; between the children are two birds atop two hearts. Decorative pen and ink flourishes are drawn in the corners and bottom edge.  Appears to be original black painted frame. 

 

There are several other examples of this unknown artist’s work, but this is the only one that features children.  Dimensions:  sight 7.75” x 4.75”; frame 9.25” x 6.25”.

Provenance: New England Collection; Sotheby's, New York, January 21 and 22, 2000, sale no 7420, lot 458

 

Reference:  Fall 2001 Folk Art Magazine, Silhouette; Portraiture in America by Vincent DiCicco, page 40.

Other examples:  Skinner, February 9, 2006, Lot 4, Double Hollow-cut and watercolor silhouette of a lady and gentleman with cupid and hearts;  Skinner, May, 21, 2016, Lot 92. Double Hollow-cut and Watercolor Silhouette, America, 19th century, the man and woman facing each other in a paper mat with oval cutouts and decorated with two doves and hearts in the upper center, a sailing ship in lower center, in a black frame.

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