AFA 20th Anniversary

2020 Antiques & Fine Art 143 Attributed to Rufus Porter (1792–1884), Mercy Davies , ca. 1818-1819. Watercolor on paper. 4½ x 3¾ in. Private Collection. Porter’s portraits can be difficult to identify because he did not sign his work. New research of his miniatures by art historian Deborah M. Child appears as Chapter Two in Rufus Porter’s Curious World. Her documentation of his known New England sitters combined with an analysis of Porter’s technique reveals not only his geographic range but also his style’s evolution. Porter’s likeness of Mercy Davies (1796–1837) reveals how quickly his skills developed once he began using a camera obscura. Here, Porter deftly articulated Mercy’s steady, forward gaze, and his handling of her braids, tortoiseshell comb, and her pleated collar is masterful. The upper right reveals the artistic process evident in his early work where he tested his brush for color saturation; this would be hidden behind a frame. Attributed to John Brewster Jr. (1766–1854), Prentiss Mellen , 1800–1810. Watercolor on ivory, 2 ⁄ x 2 ⁄ in. Maine Historical Society; Bequest of M. Persis Mellen Bailey (1931). The many itinerant artists who visited Portland, Maine, a thriving commercial center and seaport, may have inspired Porter to take up painting. John Brewster Jr., the talented artist living in nearby Buxton, is known for his fine oil portraits, but he also created miniatures. As his likeness of Portland jurist Prentiss Mellen (1764–1840) reveals, Brewster sensitively depicted his sitters without artifice or bias. These attributes also became hallmarks of Rufus Porter’s watercolor miniatures, illustrated later. William King (working 1804–1809), President Joseph McKeen (1757– 1807), dated 1805. Cut paper embossed “KING,” 4⅞ x 3⅜ in. Courtesy of the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Me. William King, a productive silhouette cutter from Salem, Massachusetts, who traveled through Portland, may also have inspired Porter. Silhouettes were popular because they provided a meaningful likeness at little expense. Porter would later advertise that he cut profiles for twenty cents, but examples of his work in this genre have never been identified.