Ammi Phillips (1788 - 1865)

the reverse inscribed Helen Ten Broeck aged 30 years / 1834; retains a paper label affixed to the back of the frame states 1834 Germantown (Columbia County) N.Y., 
appears to retain the original frame. 

Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut;
Mary Allis, Fairfield, Connecticut;
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Guthman, Westport, Connecticut;
Thomas and Nancy Tafuri, Roxbury, Connecticut.

Hartford Connecticut, The Connecticut Historical Society, A Centennial Exhibition of Paintings, November 1, 1965 - February 1, 1966;
Traveling Exhibition, Ammi Phillips: Portrait Painter 1788-1865, New York, Museum of American Folk Art; Albany, New York, Albany Institute of History and Art, October 1968-January 1969;
Kinderhook, New York, The Columbia County Historical Society, Ammi Phillips in Columbia County, August 15 - September 30, cat no. 31.

Barbara and Lawrence Holdridge, "Ammi Phillips: Portrait Painter 1788-1865," The Connecticut Historical Society Bulletin, October 1965, vol. 30, no. 4, p. 119 and 139, cat no. 148;
Barbara and Lawrence Holdridge, Ammi Phillips: Portrait Painter 1788-1865, (New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1969), p. 38, cat. no. 154;
Ruth Piwonka and Roderic Blackburn, Ammi Phillips in Columbia County, (New York: New York State Council on the Arts, 1975), p. 33 and 38, cat. no. 31. 

Overall fine condition. Restretched on original stretchers, lightly cleaned, in the original frame, with some tiny fly specs in the sitter's face.
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.

This portrait is a spectacular example of Ammi Phillips' work in his "Kent Period." It is inscribed with the sitter's name, age and date on its reverse side. The portrait is of Helen (Lena) Ten Broeck (1803-1839) of Germantown, Columbia County, New York and it was painted in 1834, when Lena was 30 years old. She is painted with absolute assurance within a dramatic and powerful composition. She is represented with beautiful pale skin tones and a vibrant green velvet dress with a black leaf and vine decorated belt and cuffs. She holds a small red volume of “Watts” within an interior with a black upholstered Federal sofa and a rich mahogany background.