The Reading Artist, 19th century

inscribed Genl. W.H. Harrison President of the United States during 1790 and 1800; with log cabin in the background.

stained; glued down; trimmed
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.

As Don Walters has noted in his entry for the Reading Artist in American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York, 2001), "more than thirty-five watercolor portraits executed between 1845 and1850 in Berks and Lebanon Counties have been attributed to an artist known as the Reading Artist, after the town in Berks County."

What is unusual about the present example is that unlike the greater number of previously recorded portraits by the Reading Artist, where local residents are portrayed, the subject of this drawing is a figure of national importance, President William Henry Harrison, seen full-length and in full military dress. His white horse is also elaborately dressed and depicted.