Ammi Phillips (1788-1865)

painted circa 1862-1863; in what appears to be the original frame and stretchers.

Mrs. Edward Deming Andrews, Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Stacy C. Hollander and Howard Fertig, Revisiting Ammi Phillips: Fifty Years of Portraiture, Museum of American Folk Art, New York, 1994, p. 104.

Lawrence and Barbara Holdridge, Ammi Phillips Portrait Painter, 1788-1865 (Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., New York, Publisher, 1969), number 279

wax lined; restretched; touch-ups in faces, background and dress
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.

The Dewey family residence was located to the east of the village of New Lenox, Massachusetts.  Charles Asaph Dewey was born in New Lenox October 14, 1818, his wife Sarah King Dewey was born January 10, 1824, the daughter of Roland and Maria Weller King.  Charles and Sarah were married November 2, 1848.  They had nine children, of whom Harriet Maria, the sitter in the present portrait, was born June 11, 1859.  The double portrait of Harriet and her mother was painted circa 1862-1863.  At that time Phillips was living in Curtisville (now Interlaken), Massachusetts, near Stockbridge.