Email this lot to a friend

« Email Address (separate multiple emails with a comma)

hide

Lot 251

translate

email

save

Silhouette of Kentucky First Lady Mrs. Issac Shelb

Sign In to see what this sold for

Silhouette of Kentucky First Lady Mrs. Issac Shelby, Lexington, KY 

Watercolor on paper, titled Mrs. Isaac Shelby / Lexington, KY l.r., signed and dated J.W. Dodge, 1802 l.l.; 7.75 x 5.5 in. The silhouette is executed on a heavier stock paper, not typical of the first quarter 19th century. It is possible that the piece is executed later than 1802.

Suzanna Hart Shelby, daughter of of Capt. Nathaniel Hart, one of the first settlers in Kentucky, was married to Isaac Shelby. A soldier, fighting in the American Revolutionary War, and a statesman, serving as Kentucky's first govenor, Shelby first came to Kentucky in 1774 and became a prominent member of early Kentucky society. He was a memeber of the constitutional conventions which led to Kentucky's statehood, and was a trustee of Transylvania Seminary, Kentucky's first college.
Shelby's military record was well known. He fought in the Revolutionary War at the famous Battle of King's Mountain, an expedition over the Appalachian Mountains against the British forces in North Carolina. Shelby was called to service again for the War of 1812 where he led a regiment to the rescue of Kentucky troops during the Battle of the Thames near Detroit. The battle became so famous for Shelby that people from Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky stood roadside to catch sight of the hero upon his return to Kentucky.
Following the Revolutionary war, Shelby relocated to Kentucky on lands given to him for his military service and became involved in Kentucky's transition from a county of Virginia to an independent state. As a war hero, he was popular with the citizens; the state electoral college unanimously elected him governor in 1792. He secured the state from Indian attacks and organized Kentucky's first government.
After his offical retirement from politics in 1816, Shelby was asked to serve as Secretary of War by President Monroe, but he declined. In 1817, he was commissioned by Andrew Jackson to negotiate with the Chickasaw Indians for purchase of lands west of the Tennessee River. Shelby remained active in political affairs until his death at his home, Traveller's Rest, Lincoln County, in 1826. 

Provenance: Property of Caswell and Sara Lane
Previously Sold at Sotheby Parke Bernet, NY, 1977 (Lot 620)

Water stains, especially to the perimeter.

Click on thumbnails to see larger images:

View Cowan's Auctions, Inc. next auction.

Similar lots up for auction