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THBPortrait of An American Militia Officer, Attributed to Ezra Ames (1768-1836)
About Seller
6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States
With offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver, Cowan’s holds over 40 auctions each year, with annual sales exceeding $16M. We reach buyers around the globe, and take pride in our reputation for integrity, customer service and great results. A full-service house, Cowan’s Auctions specializes in Am...Read more
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About Auction
LiveDec 10, 2016 - Dec 11, 2016
Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com
View Full Catalog (503)
- Lot Description
American, early 19th century. Attributed to Ezra Ames (1768-1836). Oil on canvas, framed, unsigned; 29.5 x 23.6 in. (sight).
The sitter for this painting, as well as the artist, have been the subject of speculation for many years. Traditionally, the painting was identified in the 1940s as War of 1812 American Naval hero Commodore Thomas Macdonough. Some time later, the subject was identified as Commodore Stephen Decatur. Both attributions are incorrect; the subject wears the uniform of an officer in the Light Artillery, not in the Navy. Details of the subject's buttons strongly suggest the sitter is not a member of the Regular United States Army, but more likely is an officer in a state Militia unit, possibly Massachusetts or New York (James Kochan, personal communication, November 1, 2016).
In the 1940s the painting was exhibited at least twice, once in 1944 at the Museum of the City of New York (a record from the museum indicates that a work from the collection of Bertha Benkard Rose with the same loan number as the one inscribed on the back of this painting was on loan there, along with another unidentified work, from 1934 until 1944), and again in 1945 in an exhibition of American portraits organized by the Duveen Galleries, New York. In both exhibits, Jarvis was identified as the artist. In notes maintained by the Frick Art Reference Library (File 121-14o2, Ames, Ezra) the painting is referenced as likely by Ezra Ames of Albany, New York.
Provenance: Property from the Descendants of Bertha Benkard Rose, Oyster Bay, NY and Tucson, AZRelined, with evidence of inpainting and a possible repair to the officer's sash at his waist, and a repaired 3" vertical tear in the ground on the right hand side of the canvas. An old loan number (probably from the Museum of the City of New York) is painted on the stretcher, lower left.Condition
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