Ink drawing of a pious man (Pennsylvania Dutch / Anabaptist association?)
Ink drawing of a pious man (Pennsylvania Dutch / Anabaptist association?)
Ink drawing of a pious man (Pennsylvania Dutch / Anabaptist association?)
Ink drawing of a pious man (Pennsylvania Dutch / Anabaptist association?)
Ink drawing of a pious man (Pennsylvania Dutch / Anabaptist association?)
[drawing]

Ink drawing of a pious man (Pennsylvania Dutch / Anabaptist association?)



On hold, inquiries welcome

Presumed Pennsylvania, ca. 1880s. Ink portrait painted on a 7.5 x 5.25 oval, mounted to a 10 x 8 heavy card panel. The panel has a significant loss at the top corner, 3 x 3.5" & .75 x 1" chip at the bottom. No identification. The image area is fortunately unaffected and the damage could be easily concealed with an oval mat if desired, though there's something about the loss that informs the present reading of the image. Currently housed in a stiff mylar sleeve with a backing sheet behind it (not attached). It resembles another portrait we previously acquired with ink drawing over a faint cabinet card photo. There are no visible traces of a photograph here, but the similarities in the drawings warrant mentioning the process of the other.

Very subtle toning to the cheeks and the shirt, and a considerable depth of tone in the suit jacket, which has an overall caricaturish quality despite the fine treatment of the face. The shirt also has what looks like a bit of coffee or tea toning. Pious expression with a conservative style hair and "Shenandoah" beard that suggests an Anabaptist religious association--though even a painted figurative portrait would go against the second commandment, which prohibits "graven images." The slight black necktie is also an elusive clue. Given its Pennsylvania provenance, it is likely to have some form of PA Dutch association.