- 219
William Matthew Prior (1806-1873)
Estimate
75,000 - 150,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- William Matthew Prior (1806-1873)
- Portrait of a Young Boy with Flounced Collar and Brown Suit Holding a Bow and Arrow, Leaning on a Chippendale Chair
- Oil on mattress ticking
- 38 3/4 by 30 inches
Signed and dated on the reverse By Wm. Prior, 1837; inscribed on the original stretcher tomorrow at 12.
Condition
On the original stretcher and in what appears to be the original frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Jacquelyn Oak, author of Artist and Visionary, William Matthew Prior Revealed comments: "This portrait of a boy with bow and arrow and Chippendale chair is the most sophisticated portrait of a child done by Prior that has come to light. It is done in his "quasi-academic" style that characterized his most expensive work in the late-1830s in Portland, Maine. The fully-rounded facial features and sitter's body, elaborate background, and details in costume and props are elements that appear in Prior's most polished works of the time. Although Prior is best-known for his "flat likenesses without shade or shadow at ¼ price", he clearly was capable of accommodating clients who desired (and were willing to pay for) a traditional, academic portrait. The period of 1837 (the date on this painting) to 1840 was the time that he painted most extensively in this style; after his move from Portland to Boston in 1840, he never again attempted to paint in this manner."
Artist and Visionary: William Matthew Prior Revealed is currently on view at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York. It closes December 31, 2012 and then will be exhibited at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City.
Artist and Visionary: William Matthew Prior Revealed is currently on view at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York. It closes December 31, 2012 and then will be exhibited at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City.