The following description for has been prepared entirely by the current owner, Roberts S. Fastov, Esq., and, at the collector’s request, has not been edited by Sloans & Kenyon
Note 1) The art cognoscenti would
object to this attribution to Sharples on the grounds, that all Sharples' known
portraits are done in pastel with a very few in watercolor. No Sharples' oil
portrait has surfaced at auction or in the museum collections listed on the Art
Cyclopedia website for Sharples or the Google images website for Sharples. “The
Life Portraits of George Washington And Their Replicas’ by John Hill Morgan and
Mantle Fielding (Philadelphia, 1931), at pp. 299-310, list 28 portraits of Washington,
all of which, with the exception of No. 11, are explicitly stated to have been
executed in pastel. No. 11 omits this statement, but the 7 ½ x 9 ½ measurement,
strongly suggests that No. 11 was a pastel, as well. The 7 ½" x 9 ½"
measurement is the measurement of all, but 2 (these are both 8" x 10
") of the 27 other Washington pastel portraits. In addition, at p. 397:
Hill and Fielding state: “So far as is known James Sharples drew only in pastel
in this country.” They then report the rejection as not authentic Sharples'
painting of 3 large oil portraits in 1887 and one small oil portrait of
Washington in 1924, (none of which is illustrated) at pp. 397-398. Askart.com
stated in the Sharples' biography: “The Sharples' family created the finest
pastel art in America after John Singleton Copley and before the renaissance of
the medium in the later 19th century.”
Research has uncovered the following
book, per the Stanford University Library, on Google, which was published in
1887:
“Memorials
Of Washington And Of Mary, His Mother, And Martha, His Wife, From Letters
And Papers Of Robert Cary And James Sharples.” By James Walter, Retired Major, Lancashire Artillery (British
Army List), Author of “Shakespeare’s Home And Rural Life,” Illustrated With
Portraits Of Washington And His Wife From Paintings By Sharples; Also A Portrait Of Mary Washington, By Middleton, With Seven Portraits Of
Prominent American Women Of The Period, And A Portrait Of Priestley, By
Sharples. (Emphasis added.)” Published By Charles Scribner's Sons, 743 and 745, Broadway, New York, 1887.
This Baring book makes crystal clear
that, in fact, Sharples did paint a number of oil portraits in America and had
outstanding commissions (unfulfilled) for Sharples to paint oil portraits of
several prominent American men and painted at least two different versions of
an oil portrait of Washington (side profile and full face), while in America
from 1794-1797, and perhaps, most importantly, that Washington, sought to have
Sharples subsequently make copies or replicas inspired by the Sharples’ oil
portrait of Washington, owned by Robert Cary, which, Washington had gifted to
Cary in 1797, and, which, according to Washington, was the best likeness of
himself: “It is agreed on all hands that
his two portraits of myself are, so far as likeness goes, by far the best of
the many made; hence the desire that the copies should be from the hand of the
artist himself who painted the originals (Bold face added)." ” The
following is a reproduction of the oil portrait of Washington that Washington
so admired and which Washington gave to Robert Cary, Washington’s business
agent in London in 1797, who was also a merchant. Such photograph of the Cary
version of the Sharples' oil portrait was reproduced in the above-described
Baring book and titled below as follows: "Reproduced by the Autotype
Company. London. From the original Oil Painting by James Sharples"
![[graphic][merged small]](1566_files/image002.jpg)
Reproduced by the Autotype Company. London. From the
original Oil Painting by James Sharples
The full front face Sharples oil
portrait of Washington was also reproduced in this book.
![[graphic][merged small]](1566_files/image004.jpg)
Reproduced
by the Autotype Company. London. From the original Oil Painting by James
Sharpies.
The Sharples oil portrait of
Martha Washington was also reproduced in this book, at p. 24.
This book also reproduces 12
other oil portraits of Americans that were painted by Sharples, when he was in
America. Also, compare the above oil portrait of Washington that is being
offered at this auction with the pastel portrait of Washington in the
collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
Sometime in 1797 or thereafter,
Washington wrote his business agent in London, Robert Cary, who was also
related to Sharples, the following letter, at pp. 45-46 of the Baring book which
stated, in part:
“I have been solicited by Colonel Trumbull and others to request your
permission for Mr. Sharples to execute copies in oils, size of the originals,
of the two portraits of myself and that of Mrs. Washington, and to name
that if Mr. Sharples thinks of
returning to this country, a good opportunity would thus be found to bring them
out. I cannot encourage any hope of commissions for expensive portraits in
oils, such as these were. Our
people cannot afford to pay the price. I shall ever value highly the friendship
prompting the great outlay on your part.
It
is agreed on all hands that his two portraits of myself are, so far as likeness
goes, by far the best of the many made; hence the desire that the copies should
be from the hand of the artist himself who painted the originals. In the
instances of his frequent small pastel reproductions there is great
inferiority. The copies I gave Judge Marshall are, perhaps, the best, but all
are said to be very weak. My wife declines to join in asking your consent—I
have undertaken simply to name it—to go beyond the mention would, it seems to
me, be a clear impertinence.
In judging Mrs. Washington's seeming
disinclination, it should be remembered that my having sat to Stuart has
resulted in the country abounding in so-called ' originals.'
If it be your wish for the desired
copies to be made, Mr. Sharples should be required to enter into an undertaking
they shall be painted in best manner of his capability; and in your interest he
should be strictly confined to the execution of one copy only of each, and
bound not to paint more; so also he should undertake not to remove the pictures
from your residence.
Faithfully yours,
George
Washington. To Robert Cary, Esq.,
Merchant in London (Emphasis and bold face added)."
In addition, John Trumbull and some
of the few Americans, who viewed the Washington portraits, before they were
delivered to England in late 1797, urged Sharples to make copies of the
Washington oil portraits, while he was in America. We do not know whether
Sharples responded affirmatively to Washington’s requests or that of Trumbull
or the others to paint copies of the Washington oil portraits or whether post
Washington’s death and prior to Sharples' death in 1811, before or after
Sharples having returned to America in 1809, Sharples painted or delivered any
copies of any of the Washington portraits. However, the key point is that
Sharples had ample time and opportunity to paint full or partial replicas or
variants of any of the Washington oil portraits, including the profile
portrait, facing left, which is mimicked by the painting being offered for sale
in this lot. In addition, the whereabouts of the Washington oil profile
portrait, facing left, that was originally sent by Washington to his business
agent, Robert Cary in England in 1797 is unknown.
Sharples came over to America from
England in 1794 with a letter of introduction to Washington, written by Robert
Cary, who, as previously noted, was Washington’s business agent in London, and,
also a relative of Sharples. Precise starting and finishing dates for the two
Sharples' oil portraits of Washington and oil portrait of Martha Washington are
not certain, but it appears that Sharples may have started the oil portraits in
1796 and finished them in 1797, and the 3 Washington portraits were delivered
to Cary in London in 1797, with whom they remained, until Cary’s death and then
passed to relative, Ms. Edwards. The Sharples' full face Washington portrait
that had been delivered to Cary in 1997 was exhibited at the New York
Historical Society in 1854 in response to importunings of Americans to sell the
3 Washington portraits to Americans, which they maintained for the balance of
the 2-year American Exhibition. In 1882, the 3 Cary Washington oil portraits,
including the Sharples' oil profile portrait of Washington, facing left, were
exhibited in American first at the Century Club and then the Union League Club
in New York City. American efforts to buy the 3 Sharples' oil portraits failed,
and the portraits returned to England. The present whereabouts of such
paintings is unknown. These paintings were authenticated and hailed and
authenticated as marvelous life portraits of Washington and Mrs. Washington,
per the following letter set forth at p. 26 of the book, signed by, inter alia, Daniel Huntington, the
excellent 19th century portraitist in his capacity as President of the prestigious National
Academy of Design, as well as Eastman Johnson, who also painted a number
of portraits and executed a lot of genre paintings, involving the human face
and figure.
“New York, April 12, 1882. The
Sharples' portraits of Washington, a full-face picture and a profile, and that
of Lady Washington, all three painted in oils and exhibited for several months
in New York during 1882, bear every evidence of having been painted from the
life. The full-face portrait was exhibited before the Historical Society of New
York in 1854. The authenticity of these paintings has never been questioned by
artists or others competent to form correct judgment. (Signed) D. Huntington, President of the
National Academy of Design. Eastman
Johnson. J. G. A. Ward. Launt
Thompson”
At p. 32, the Baring book stated “We tenaciously pin our faith on Stuart
and Peale, but, nevertheless, confess great allegiance to Sharples. Some of our
ablest critics affirm that as time progresses future-generations will adopt the
rendering of Sharpies as certainly that most to be desired. Few will
deny but that these heads of the Father of the Country must win their way to
all hearts. Everybody sees reality in them, and the truest evidence of their
being painted from the life is their speaking vitality and vigour. Washington,
doubtless, gave more actual sittings for these portraits than for any others,
and the testimony of Mr. Custis, Mrs. Washington's son, in these emphatic
words, ‘The family always regarded the Sharples portraits as by far the best
and truest representations’ is decisive. No other painter succeeded in giving
us his calm dignity in union with his known determination and vigour of mind.
Sharples gives us the Military Chieftain, the Patriot, the Statesman, the
benign Christian Gentleman, all combined. Boston now for a short time receives
these pictures, and will, doubtless, take up more than its proportion of the
autotypes.[of the Sharples' oil portraits, 12 of which were photographed and
reprinted as “autotypes" in the Baring book.]….“George W. P. Custis, Washington's adopted son, says: 'The Sharples
portraits are the most truthful likenesses of Washington ever taken.' There
are two pictures of Washington, one a full portrait and the other a profile,
and naturally there is a great diversity of opinions as to the relative merits
of the two. Painters and art connoisseurs seem to incline to the profile, possibly
because no other original portrait of the kind is known to have existed.
Comparisons between the Sharples and Stuart portraits of Washington are very
favourable to the former. The portrait of Martha Washington is a superb and
ideal picture of that revered lady. Artists and critics have, with scarcely an
exception, expressed the warmest admiration for it."….“(From the
New York Times.)The exhibition of the historic Sharples portraits of George
and Martha Washington has been enjoyed by a great many persons of intelligence
and artistic tastes. These remarkable portraits have remained the property of
English owners ever since the time of their execution. Washington Irving, John
Jacob Astor, and others endeavoured to purchase them, but succeeded only in
having them brought to this country for a few months in 1854, at which time
they were exhibited under the auspices of the New York Historical Society. The
intrinsic merit of these portraits is obvious to any intelligent beholder. Irving
held them in very high esteem, and in a letter now in existence, George W. P.
Custis, Washington's adopted son, says: ' The Sharples portraits are the most
truthful likenesses of Washington ever taken. (Emphasis and bold face added)."
Regarding the comparison between
Sharples' and Stuart’s paintings of Washington, at p. 65, the Baring book
observes: “Time alone must determine whether they can hold their ground against
the Sharples. Most of the so-called originals by Stuart are mere recollections
of the portraits painted from the few sittings given him by Washington. The
Sharples portraits, so far as the general public goes, were until recently
unknown in America, excepting to the few leading poets and public men
travelling abroad, who knew of their whereabouts and sought them out. The
pictures themselves were packed off to England instantly after production, and
all that remained to the country were some pastel drawings made in the first
instance from sketches executed with the original oil paintings before his
eyes, but which, through multiplication, and in absence of the originals to
guide him, grew weaker and weaker, until like Stuart's portraits they became
mere results of recollection. The evidences of rapid change in the national
feeling need no seeking. Boston, the city rightly priding itself in its
possession of a genuine Stuart, has admitted, in free and honourable manner,
that the Sharples portraits are " more real," " more human,"
than the Stuarts. New York, from the first moment of seeing them, never
faltered in its judgment. Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Paul, and Cincinnati, the
only other places in which the original paintings were exhibited, gave similar
verdicts (Emphasis added.)”.
Note 2) The perspective,
composition, technique and style manifested in the Sharples' profile oil
portrait of Washington offered in this lot and the Sharples' profile oil
portrait of Washington delivered to Cary in 1797 are very similar to and are
manifested in the two Sharples' pastel and watercolor profile portraits of
Washington facing left, which have sold at auction. Like this lot, they are
also unsigned, but are much smaller (3 3/8" x 2 7/8" and 9 ¼" x
7 ½") than this lot (21" x 16-7/8"). Given this size discrepancy,
and that this lot is rendered in the medium of oil painting, which is usually
assigned greater value than pastels and watercolors, the estimated value of
this painting is higher than the sales results obtained by the pastel and
watercolor. Another significant factor increasing the estimate of this lot is
that this oil portrait of Washington is so far unique and, in all events, is
much rarer than the 28 Sharples' pastels of Washington, listed in the Hill and
Fielding book and, most importantly, as discussed above Washington himself
stated in late 1797 or thereafter, that Sharples' oil painting of Washington
was the best likeness of him painted by all of the artists, which would include
Gilbert Stuart, Charles Willson Peale, Rembrandt Peale and John Trumbull. Other
contemporaries of Washington agreed with Washington’s assessment. The foregoing
factors and analysis and the following Askart.com records regarding sales
support the conclusion that the presale estimate of $50,000-$100,000 is
reasonable and justifiable.
Sharples' pastel and watercolor
profile portraits of Washington facing left sold at auction, per Askart.com:
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Title: Portrait of George Washington |
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Title: Portrait of George Washington |
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See also:
Other Sharples' pastel portraits of George Washington sold
at auction, per Askart.com:
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Title: PORTRAIT OF GEORGE WASHINGTON IN UNIFORM, CIRCA 1796 |
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