- 813
FINE SILK EMBROIDERED MOURNING PICTURE DEDICATED TO ALEXANDER HAMILTON, MARY WIGHTMAN, RHODE ISLAND, CIRCA 1804
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 USD
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Description
- Signed M. Wightman
- watercolor, pen and ink, and silk embroidery on silk
- 18 in. by 14 1/2 in.
On monument under a portrait of Alexander Hamilton, the inscription: Sacred to the memory/of Genl Hamilton who/departed the life July 29/1805. The woman at the far left holds a document that is inscribed: Five years has not elaps'd since we bu-/ried the Father of Our Country, we now/with grief attend his eldest Son/Hamilton!/Fare thee well. In the distance, far right, a monument to George Washington inscribed: Sacred to the/memory of Genl George/Washington, who died/dec. 14th 1799. The eglomise matte inscribed M. WIGHTMAN.
Provenance
Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc., New York, Important Frakturs, Embroidered Pictures, Theorem Paintings and Cutwork Pictures from the Collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, January 23, 1974, sale 3595, lot 16.
Exhibited
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, William Penn Memorial Museum, Mourning Becomes America, Mourning Art in the New Nation, March 28 through May 23, 1976;
Albany, New York, Albany Institute of History and Art, June 1 through July 15, 1976.
Albany, New York, Albany Institute of History and Art, June 1 through July 15, 1976.
Literature
Anita Schorsch, Mourning Becomes America, Mourning Art in the New Nation (Pearl Pressman, Philadelphia, 1976), 13/39.
Ring, Betty, Let Virtue be a Guide to Thee: Needlework in the Education of Rhode Island Women, 1730-1830 (Providence, Rhode Island: Rhode Island Historical Society, 1983), pp. illus. pp. 237.
Antiques Magazine, February 1981, p. 415.
Ring, Betty, Let Virtue be a Guide to Thee: Needlework in the Education of Rhode Island Women, 1730-1830 (Providence, Rhode Island: Rhode Island Historical Society, 1983), pp. illus. pp. 237.
Antiques Magazine, February 1981, p. 415.
Condition
In good condition overall. Fading and loss of color in silk embroidery threads. Some losses and tears in the silk satin at top of picture. Appears to retain original eglomisé glass mat.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
See Sothebys.com for an illustration of this lot.
According to Betty Ring, Mary Wightman’s composition was inspired by the memorial design on a linen handkerchief commemorating Alexander Hamilton, which included a small background monument dedicated to George Washington. Mary’s pattern may have been derived indirectly from the handkerchief; in any case, she stitched the wrong death dates for both Hamilton and Washington. See Betty Ring, Let Virtue be a Guide to Thee: Needlework in the Education of Rhode Island Women, 1730-1830 (Providence, RI: Rhode Island Historical Society, 1983), p.237.