EXTREMELY RARE FREDERICK CO., SHENANDOAH VALLEY OF VIRGINIA FRAKTUR, watercolor, ink and gold leaf on paper, featuring a spread-wing eagle and two heart-form leaves above "MARY E. / JONES / Died July 29th 1849 Aged 49.y 4m. 20d.", the lower half filed with a central tree with heart-form leaves, blooms, and two perched birds, flanked by flowering vines, the whole within a drape-like border. Conservation framed. Attributed to the Shenandoah Valley Illuminated Artist, Winchester area. Mid 19th century. 9 3/4" x 7 3/4" sight.

Provenance: From a private Southern collection.
Catalogue Note: This represents one of only approximately five recorded examples by this unidentified artist. While the identity of Mary Jones has not been established, it is likely that she is Mary Barrack Jones the wife of W. H. Jones. There are numerous candidates for W. H. Jones in the Winchester area including William Jones (b.c. 1810) who was listed as a "Painter" in the 1850 Federal Census for Frederick Co., a year after Mary’s death. The atypical lettering and unique gilding seen on the frakturs in this group is very reminiscent of work by sign painters. The 1841 instruction book, "A Treatise on Carriage, Sign, and Ornamental Painting" by Orson Campbell illustrates the EXACT Roman lettering seen on Mary Jones' fraktur and others in the group. This circumstantial evidence strongly supports the possibility that William Jones was the artist of this group of frakturs.
Another example from the group, made for the 1806 birth of Elizabeth McDonald (1806-1850), was sold by Pook & Pook on June 19, 2009, lot 66. Elizabeth's father was born in Frederick Co. and her mother was born in neighboring Hampshire Co, now West Virginia. A third example was produced commemorating the 1818 marriage of Benjamin and Rachel Stine of Frederick Co. It appears that Rachel died shortly after 1850. All of these works were likely created around 1850, the same time that William Jones is recorded as a painter in Frederick Co., Virginia.

Good overall condition, 1 1/4" tear from the left edge near the bottom, slight loss to the lower half of the right edge, expected losses and oxidation to gilding, evenly toned. Conservation performed by Douglas Kenyon, Inc. in 1987.