02-07-201402-08-2014
Skinner Auctions
Skinner AuctionsBoston MA
2704BBoston
February 7, 2014 04:00 PMCalender
372

William Morris Hunt (American, 1824-1879) Two Oval Bas Relief Portrait Plaques: Thomas Couture

Sell one like this
$2,829$2,300
Auction: American & European Works of Art - 2704BLocation: BostonDate / Time: February 07, 2014 4:00PM

Description:

William Morris Hunt (American, 1824-1879)

Two Oval Bas Relief Portrait Plaques: Thomas Couture, 1848 and Profile of a Woman in a Ruffled Cap, Thought to be Jane Maria Leavitt Hunt, 1841
Both monogrammed "WMH" and dated in the bronze, Couture titled l.c.,
Leavitt stamped "THE HENRY-BONNARD BRONZE CO../FOUNDERS. N-Y. 1898." l.r., incised "Jemima Leavitt/Married Jan. 1st, 1800" on the reverse.
Bronze with brown patina, oval format, sizes to 10 3/8 x 7 5/8 in. (26.3 x 19.5 cm),with applied hanging rings.
Condition: Dust and dirt to the interstices, Couture with minor wear to the patina.

Provenance: By descent within the artist's family.

N.B. The female portrait is thought by the family to be Jane Maria Leavitt Hunt (1801-1877),the artist's mother, although the incised notation on the reverse, scratched into the bronze in a later hand, names the sitter as "Jemima Leavitt/Married Jan. 1st, 1800." Jemima Loomis Leavitt (d. 1846) was the artist's maternal grandmother, and a marriage date of 1800 would seem likely, given that Jane, her oldest child, was born in 1801. The male portrait is the painter Thomas Couture, with whom William Morris Hunt studied in Paris from 1846 to 1852.
Estimate $1,500-2,000

There is minor dust to some of the deeper interstices, but there are no other issues to note. Both plaques are oval format. Dimensions of the Couture plaque are 9 3/16 x 7 1/2 in. ( 23.3 x 19.0 cm). Dimensions of the Leavitt plaque are 10 3/8 x 7 5/8 in. (26.3 x 19.5 cm).


The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Condition requests can be obtained via email (lot inquiry button) or by telephone to the appropriate gallery location (Boston/617.350.5400 or Marlborough/508.970.3000). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner Inc. shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.

Keywords

Thomas Couture, Jemima Loomis Leavitt, HENRY-BONNARD BRONZE CO., Paris