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5603
ATTRIBUTED TO WILLIAM MATTHEW PRIOR
Massachusetts/Maine, 1806-1873
Portrait of two children,
the girl dressed in red and holding an implement, possibly a pen, and the boy dressed in blue and holding a pony whip. Unsigned.
Oil on board, 14" x 22". Framed 17.5" x 25.5".
Condition: UV light reveals minor restoration to upper right corner as well minor scattered retouch.
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.
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.
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Provenance:
The Collection of Martha Hamilton. Martha was a renowned folk art expert, appraiser for Antiques Roadshow, and collector extraordinaire. Read her biography here from Eldred's Americana Week: https://issuu.com/eldredsauction/docs/2025_americana_week_the_collection_of_martha_hami/7
Reference I:
This painting can be compared with William Matthew Prior's portrait of the three Sweetser children, sold at Christie's, January 24, 2014, Lot #248, in which one of the children is wearing a similar red dress to the one seen here, and another child is dressed in blue. In another unsigned portrait attributed to Prior, sold at Brunk Auctions, September 16-17, 2022, Lot #1314, the boy is seated in a similar pose and holding nearly the exact same object as the one seen here, described as a fishing pole.
Reference II:
William Matthew Prior's long career ran the gamut from gilding to glazing, but his true passion was capturing likenesses. While his colleagues in East Boston often focused on decorative flair and graphic design, Prior's priority was plain, elegant portraiture. Most often, he favored simple and honest compositions that place the sitters against a plain backdrop, such as the boy and girl seen here. These portrait sketches, known best as the "flat style," are subtle and swiftly executed, offering all of the talent at a quarter of the standard price.
Though this portrait is characteristically small-scale (14" x 22"), it has all the impact of a large life-size image. The muted palette lends this double portrait an ethereal quality, but the children's vibrant, lively faces indicate they were painted from life. Other painters in the Prior-Hamblin School frequently spiced up their compositions with vivid crimson curtains, but not Prior. That eye-catching red paint is only used on the little girl's dress. She and her brother are the stars of the show.
The sitters are most likely from Boston, where Prior maintained his "Painting Garret" studio in the 1840s. There can be no doubt as to its authorship. Countless signed Prior portraits show the same techniques, subtly and efficiently capturing the person's features with an economy of quick, nervous brushstrokes. Prior can be distinguished from his contemporaries by his academic quality; he knew how to distill a sense of realism, and he fused it with the simplicity of the flat style.
By inventing that style, cleverly marketing it, and teaching it to his fellow artists, Prior revolutionized the genre of portrait painting in the 1840s. He made it affordable and accessible for average citizens long before photography swept the nation. Prior would be astonished to learn the value of his work today. He might never have imagined its enduring importance. But it is a testament to his ability, that these lovable likenesses are still incredibly sought after.
Sources & references:
https://americanfolkportraits.miraheze.org/wiki/Category:William_Matthew_Prior
https://www.incollect.com/articles/the-celebrated-william-matthew-prior
https://collection.terraamericanart.org/people/321/william-matthew-prior
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Reference II courtesy of Emily Esser, American Folk Art Specialist
Princeton '18 Art & Archaeology
Browse the American Folk Portraits Wiki Database: https://americanfolkportraits.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page
Blog:https://www.paintingsworthlookingat.com/
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November 21, 2025 9:30 AM EST
East Dennis, MA, US
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