A table at the Old Jail Arts Center in Albany, Texas caught my eye. It's always nice when museums feature decorative arts, but it's especially nice when museums of this size include furniture. The round inlaid center table with a classical form features prominently our first president. I assumed being in this small-town Texas museum … Continue reading George, You’re a Long Way from Philadelphia…
Later this month Swann Galleries in New York will conduct a sale of Revolutionary Americana from the Allyn Kellogg Ford Collection. The Ford collection contains some of the most significant Revolutionary War letters ever to come to auction. In 1927 Minnesota manufacturer Allyn Kellogg Ford acquired what would become the core of his collection, more … Continue reading Trove of Revolutionary War Letters Coming to Auction
A rare and historical portrait flask showing strong busts of George Washington and Henry Clay, made circa 1840-1860 by Bridgeton Glass Works (NJ), soared to $52,650 in the Internet and catalog auction of Session III of the Thomas McCandless lifetime bottle collection. The auction went online Jan. 18 and accepted its final bid on Feb. … Continue reading Washington-Clay Portrait Flask Brings $52,650
There are a great many art and antique shows in New York. The number can easily overwhelm the newcomer or the seasoned veteran. You must pick and choose which shows to attend if you plan to survive. If you have the opportunity, choose the American Art Fair at the National Academy Museum. This year the … Continue reading The American Art Fair at the National Academy Museum
It’s the most reproduced portrait in history. I could have probably guessed as much, but It wasn't immediately apparent to me that Gilbert Stewart’s Athenaeum Portrait of George Washington could have been considered propaganda. Someone not trained to be as endeared to the paternal figure could have easily surmised as much, however. I recently read … Continue reading Repeating the President
Bitter brutality and cruel caricature alternate with respectful revelations and positive portrayals of the status of African Americans. It may be said that all portrayals become betrayals in revealing the motivations and prejudices of their creator, and the images in this exhibition offer telling insights into the prevailing notions of the period. Each work in … Continue reading African Americans: Seeing and Seen, 1766 – 1916
In this series, the UAA team will list some of the interesting items that we have found in auctions, antique shops or eBay. We neither own the items or have the capability of examining the items in person in some cases. It mainly serves as an inventory record of what interests us (not necessarily in … Continue reading A Gaggle of Interests – Jan 3, 2010
In present day when the way a public figure looks is everything, it’s hard to imagine a time when almost no one in the country knew what the president looked like. However, even before the advent of the photograph, everyone knew what George Washington looked like. Washington knew that symbols mattered and that he was … Continue reading The Painter’s Chair – Book Review
The approximate 180 portrait paintings in the City Hall are the best collection of early American portraiture in the United States. General Lafayette by Samuel Morse The best known is probably the painting of "General Lafayette for the City of New York" by Samuel Morse, the founder and the first President of the National Academy, … Continue reading Lafayette and Washington In New York City Hall
Urban Art & Antiques 