Portrait of Ellen Mary Armstrong, by Arthur Armstrong. Seated girl with dog in interior with tall window at back. Young girl with short brown hair parted in center and curls in front. Dark brown eyes. Seated with hands in front and leges extended to right. White off the shoulder chemise with bows and lace at shoulders. Holding small basket of variety of pink flowers. High top footwear with blue foot and white cuff. Right shoe removed and lying on floor. Flowers on floor beside shoe. Seated on large round blue cushion. Folds of peach blanket under left leg and lying on floor at front right. Small spaniel type dog sitting upright on haunches, holding a daisy in mouth. Overal seated on block patterened bedspread or floorcloth. Three at left? Background is mottled brown. Window at right has night scene of street. including 2 prominent church steeples (possibly East Orange looking east toward First Reformed and Presbyterian Church).
painting dimensions are 30.25in High and 25in Wide.
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2017-08-01
Condition Notes
Extensive craquelure. Two rectangular canvs pathces on reverse -- one at hair and above head, second patch below pink peopny on dress (reparied tear?) Frame painted gold excpet for three sections of face molding. Onverall wear with streaking and mottling. Inner gilded edge has multiple hairline cracks across its length; now quite darkened. Back uncovered; painting secured with eye screws. Brass plaque at bottom of frame reads "Ellen Mary Armstrong/1843-1846/Armstrong"
Frame: expected moderate wear to gilding with abrasions and smalll gesso chips. Short dark cracks on inner edges on all four sides.
Oil on canvas portrait of seated man, body facing right, head nearly front. Dark hair, ear length, no part. Brown eyes, prominent nose and chin. Black coat and waistcoat, white shirt with down turned collar. Black neckwear. Both and hold red book seated in red upholstered armchair. Formal garden and sky visible at left behind red curtain with gold fringe and tassel. Portrait of woman with palette and brushes below right. Probable stringed instrument at lower left. Brass plaque reads: "James thomas Armstrong/1828-1848/Armstrong." Frame is 4 in wide molded profile with gilding.
Frame: 4" gold Sully-type, surface dirt and mildew stains throughout, minor losses throughout.
Frame conservation needs: Surface clean, touchup and regild.
(eta, VAP 08/04/2017) Fiar. Canvas detaching from stretcher at right side, especially at bottom corner where canvas is buckled an torn from stretcher. Irregular puncture tear is 2in wide and 3.5in high at upper right of head. Divets at upper right side to left of very center and at edge of coat near shirt, streaks of paint lass at left, top and right, white spot lower left. Overall dark and hazy. Mold spots at lower left. At upper back are moisture stains. Cellophane tape repair at tear. Frame: fair. gilding is darkened with alligatoring and mold spots. Gesso losses and strong chipping at outer edges. Left outer side has moisture stains with mold and stains across bottom.
O/C self-portrait of artist. Facing right front head turned toward viewer. Half length sitter wearing black suit with white shirt, black tie and gold chain. Dark hair parted on sitter's right with long sideburns seated in reddish chair, elbow resting on arm. Craquelure near sitter's right hand. Loss and repairs.
"A. Armstrong/Artist/Lancaster, Pa." is stencilled on back of canvas.
Provenance
Ptgs. owned by Hovey Gleason as of 1975. Owned by Dr. Irwin Richman in 1980s at the time he wrote Armstrong article for Magazine Antiques. Ended up at Conestoga Auction of Hess Auction Group a year or two ago where they were purchased by P. Sullivan. Seller states he cannot find receipt & ptgs.; they were an anonymous consignment to auction.
Seller states pair of ptgs. were restored in April 2017 by Jeff Rouse of Pittsburgh.To receive a treatment report would have cost extra, so it was declined, hence we have no record. Rouse now has a significant illness and is has closed his business.
Overal good condition. Canvas over board. Damage to right of index finger. Residue over second joints of 3 fingers. Damage forward of sitter's right elbow. Poor inpainting and above forearm. Poor color match on rear armrest of chair. Repaired tear over right eye. Brown kraft paper on back. gold paint covers gilding. Top at left is scraped, large .25in loss on right side. Bottom right has gesso loss.
Object ID
2017.008.1
Related Item Notes
Half of a pair. 2017.008.2 is protrait of artist's wife.
Painting: (Enhanced photograph?), charcoal drawing on stretched canvas, mildew under glass, light staining throughout, 3" tear lower right corner, minor mat burn, 1" minor loss right shoulder.
Painting conservation needs: Remove from housing, remove from canvas, deacidify, reframe to conservation standards.
Frame: 4" mahogany with gold liner, very good condition.
Frame conservation needs: UVF glass, surface clean, minor touchup.
