CINCINNATI — Freeman’s Hindman brings three family collections to market Friday, March 15, with a large selection of Americana from the late 18th and early 19th century. The catalog is now open for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.
Early American portraits are lead items in the sale. Charles Lyman (1775-1818) was an American portraitist engaged to depict Thaddeus and Elizabeth Leavitt in July of 1803. Their portraits measure 27.5 by 24.325in and are oils on canvas. Both are marked by the artist on the back and the lot also includes a watercolor on silk titled View of Cronberg Castle near Elsineur (sic), done by Elizabeth in 1806. The complete three-item lot is estimated at $8,000-$12,000.
The next set of husband and wife portraits contain something of a mystery. Everyone involved — subjects and artist — are French, but they were apparently rendered in the United States in 1807. Charles Balthazar Saint-Mémin (1770-1852) was a French aristocrat who came to America and painted hundreds of portraits using a Physiognotrace, a mechanical device that allowed for the relatively easy creation of profile portraits. His subjects, Maurice and Marguerite Tristant de Verdun, are historically known but show no evidence of having been in America at the time. The lot is estimated at $6,000-$8,000.
The sale also includes a large selection of early American-themed Liverpool and Staffordshire creamware featuring transfer-printed Founding Father political figures. Most are pitchers, but the selection also features bowls, plates, and even mugs. Some of the highlights include:
