4598

ATTRIBUTED TO CLARISSA PETERS (MRS. MOSES B.) RUSSELL

Massachusetts, 1809-1854

Miniature watercolor portrait on ivory of a young girl wearing a blue dress and holding an apple.

Unsigned but bearing several characteristics of Russell's work, including the striated background with a subtle "halo" around the girl's head, the prominent eyes, the finely delineated eyebrows and fingernails, the nearly imperceptible line at the wrist that separates the forearm from the hand, the delicate details on the dress and the vividly colored apple.
Oval 2.75" x 2.25". Framed 3" x 2.375".
Condition: Not examined out of frame or under UV light but appears to be in good condition. **Not available for international delivery.**

The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction. 

  • Provenance: Notes:
    In her day, Clarissa Peters Russell was a well-known miniaturist, specializing in portraits of children. Her work was so favored that when she died from a violent case of seasickness, the news made the front page of Boston newspapers.

    Over time, however, like many women artists, she faded into obscurity. Because she rarely signed her paintings, many of them were misattributed to her husband, also a miniaturist, or to itinerant portraitist Joseph Whiting Stock.

    She was born in North Andover, Massachusetts, and it is believed she attended Franklin Academy. She married Moses Russell in 1839 and the two had a son, Albert Cuyp Russell. By 1835 she was in Boston painting miniatures and giving private lessons. From 1840 to 1851, she shared a studio with her husband and was very much part of the city's art scene.

    Her portraits are notable not just for their fastidious details, but for being sympathetic and vibrant likenesses, in contrast to the more typical solemn and flat depictions of young sitters.

    Reference:
    "Mrs. Moses B. Russell Boston Miniaturist" by Randall L. Holton and Charles A. Gilday,
    The Magazine Antiques , December 1999, p. 816-823.

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November 16, 2023 9:30 AM EST
East Dennis, MA, US

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