One of the very earliest images of an interracial family relationship in American art purchased by Philip Mould
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Saturday, November 23, 2024


One of the very earliest images of an interracial family relationship in American art purchased by Philip Mould
American School, A Portrait of Two Girls, Early 19th century. Oil on canvas, 24 x 20 inches.



LONDON.- An extraordinarily rare image of two children - one white, one African American – was purchased by London art dealers Philip Mould & Company this evening (Friday 20 January 2023) at Christie’s in New York for just under one million dollars.

Painted by an unknown artist in America in around 1820, and estimated at $50-$100k, it attracted heated competition from collectors and museums on both sides of the Atlantic, eventually making ten times its top estimate with premium included.

Mould, who is also known as the art expert on BBC1's Fake or Fortune, believes it to be unprecedented for this date in American portrait painting. "We are very excited to have bought it. I know of no painting of this date or earlier quite like it. The unselfconscious depiction of two racially distinct girls, who were clearly deeply attached, is extraordinarily rare for this period, as well as very affecting. The constraints and social protocol in painted portraiture of the period make such palpable depiction of interracial attachment almost without precedent."

In their description of the painting Christie’s acknowledged its rarity, stating: "This double portrait presents its subjects as equals at a time of pervasive racial inequality. If anything, the pose and props cast the African American girl as the superior figure."

The only painting that Mould knows which could be described as comparable is the portrait of Dido Belle and her cousin Elizabeth Murray painted in c.1770 in England (on display as part of the collection at Scone Palace, Perth, Scotland) – a work which was the focus of an episode of Fake or Fortune in 2018. Dido was the daughter of a black slave and white father. Mould identified the artist, after considerable research, as the Scottish portraitist, David Martin. "This however goes considerably further. Although, as yet, we don't know the artist, nor the identity of the subjects, the relationship of equality is emphatically expressed” says Mould “The normal objectifications in the depiction of racial distinction have been set aside.”

A most unusual and revealing aspect of the painting is the book of the story of Cinderella held by the younger child. As the Christie's cataloguer pointed out: “The inclusion of a reference to a well-known story with stepsister characters raises the possibility that in the absence of blood ties, the artist was nonetheless deliberately conveying sisterhood.” Mould muses “Or perhaps the reference to Cinderella is more obvious. As a female heroine who overcame the prejudices of her oppressors, Cinderella may well turn out to have more in common with the eldest child than initially thought.”

Future plans for the painting involve a period of research, after which Mould will be looking to place the work in a museum where its qualities and significance can be appreciated within a fuller context, and it can be enjoyed by the public










Today's News

January 22, 2023

Can art ever be innocent?

Exhibition explores the cross-pollination between artists in the centers of Italian and American art in the '50s & '60s

Manuel Borja-Villel leaves his charge as the director of Museo Reina Sofía

Van Dyck painting, found in a farm shed and now estimated at $2-3m

Groninger Museum unveils a world first with exhibition The Art of Hipgnosis

Exhibition brings together five series realised between 2020 and 2021 by Georg Baselitz

Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz presents an exhibition of works by the celebrated German conceptual artist Isa Genzken

One of the very earliest images of an interracial family relationship in American art purchased by Philip Mould

Exhibition features never-before-exhibited drawings by Jennifer Bartlett

Dick Polich, artists' ally in the creation of sculptures, dies at 90

Two newcomers joining LARTA The London Antique Rug & Textile Art Fair

Maureen Paley opens exhibition by Behrang Karimi across the two London spaces

Private collection of BBC Antiques Roadshow's expert Henry Sandon heads to auction

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale presents a retrospective exhibition of work by Malcolm Morley

Alexander Gray Associates, New York opens Luis Camnitzer exhibition

Betty Lee Sung, pioneering scholar of Chinese in America, dies at 98

Review: 'Not About Me' remembers decades shrouded by AIDS

Review: Carnegie Hall makes an intimate space more intimate

Winning a BAFTA? Just one of Joanna Scanlan's career surprises.

Jenny Holzer receives Whitechapel Gallery's 2023 Art Icon Award

OSL Contemporary opens an exhibition of works by A K Dolven

Meta's oversight board calls for overhaul of nude photo standards

The unforgettable meets the unimaginable at the Winter Show

Cristin Tierney Gallery exhibits a historic installation work by Victor Burgin

Bitcoin Casinos: The Future of Online Gambling

How Fantasy Name Generators Can Help You Create The Perfect Character Name

How to Apply for Government Tenders?




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful