- 1291
A Fine and Rare Painted Pine and Compass-Drawn Box, George Robert Lawton (1813-1885), Scituate, Providence County, Rhode Island, circa 1860
Estimate
20,000 - 40,000 USD
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Description
- pine
- height 10 in.; length 17 in.; depth 13 in.
- 25.4 cm; 43.2 cm; 33 cm
the rectangular box with iron hinges, opening to an interior lined with 1874 newspaper, printed labels from New York Sarsaparilla, Hamilton Prints Fast Colors, as well as glazed wall paper fragments; the top and front with compass drawn geometric patterns of diamonds, circles, arrow-heads and arches flanked by narrow checkerboards; the left side with argyles and arches; the right side with interlacing circles in beige, red, black and white
Condition
Top has some losses and fading; front has old scratches, darkening of paint; sides with scratches and losses.
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
George Robert Lawton (1813-1885), son of Robert Lawton and Sarah Anthony, was born in Newport, Rhode Island. He married Rosinda Searle (1816-1885) in Scituate, Rhode Island, where they raised five children. Lawton was of English heritage with deep roots in Rhode Island (paragraph excerpt from Stacy C. Hollander, American Radiance, 2001, p. 425). Lawton often uses a color scheme of primarily red and white using black to create strong contrasts in the geometric motifs. This box is of simple construction, but has a complex, carefully calculated painted decoration.
Until the mid-1980s, George Robert Lawton's boxes were mis-attributed to John Colvin, a Rhode Island woodworker, builder, and carpenter. The two families - the Lawtons and the Colvins - were actually related by marriage. David Schorsch, a Connecticut dealer who purchased a number of Colvin-attributed pieces at a Skinner Americana auction on January 7, 1983, discovered Lawton as a folk artisan. In the course of his research on Lawton and with the help of a Scituate art historian and writer, Barbara Sarkesian, Schorsch spoke to Lawton's descendants, including his granddaughter Lucy Colvin Hart, who was in her early 90s in 1986. Hart said, "I'm going to tell you once and for all; there are no maybes about it. That chest [wall box] and all of those other things were made by my grandfather, George Robert Lawton, and John Colvin had nothing to do with it." Hart went on to describe specific Lawton-made pieces in Lawton's home, and she confirmed that Schorsch's purchases were, in fact, made by Lawton. (see David Schorsch, "A 19th-Century Rhode Island Folk Artisan Discovered: Lawton, not Colvin," Maine Antiques Digest, March 1987, 18D-19D)
Until the mid-1980s, George Robert Lawton's boxes were mis-attributed to John Colvin, a Rhode Island woodworker, builder, and carpenter. The two families - the Lawtons and the Colvins - were actually related by marriage. David Schorsch, a Connecticut dealer who purchased a number of Colvin-attributed pieces at a Skinner Americana auction on January 7, 1983, discovered Lawton as a folk artisan. In the course of his research on Lawton and with the help of a Scituate art historian and writer, Barbara Sarkesian, Schorsch spoke to Lawton's descendants, including his granddaughter Lucy Colvin Hart, who was in her early 90s in 1986. Hart said, "I'm going to tell you once and for all; there are no maybes about it. That chest [wall box] and all of those other things were made by my grandfather, George Robert Lawton, and John Colvin had nothing to do with it." Hart went on to describe specific Lawton-made pieces in Lawton's home, and she confirmed that Schorsch's purchases were, in fact, made by Lawton. (see David Schorsch, "A 19th-Century Rhode Island Folk Artisan Discovered: Lawton, not Colvin," Maine Antiques Digest, March 1987, 18D-19D)