American Antique Folk Portrait Miniature of Sarah Shipman by Justus DaLee family

Peggy McClard Antiques

Americana & Folk Art

I'm so pleased to offer this wonderful American folk portrait attributed to the Justus DaLee family. Until recently, all of these portraits were attributed to Justus. however, through the recent scholarship of Suzanne Rudnick Payne and Michael Payne we have learned that portrait painting was a family affair for the DaLee family. Justus was joined in his work by his brother, Richard, and his son, Amon. The Paynes now also believe that other family members (wife Mary and daughter Mary Ann) were also producing portraits and that many portraits were a group effort. For example, one letter written by Justus states that Amon was painting the dresses. Suzanne Payne Rudnick has looked at images of this portrait and thinks it may have been painted by Amon because the skin tone is a bit darker and denser as is the one signed example by Amon. What we can say with assuredness is that this wonderful bit of American folk art was produced by the DaLee family. DaLee portraits are some of the most desirable American folk portrait miniatures on the market.

This lovely portrait shows the delicate handling of facial features and lace detail that we expect from the DaLees. The reverse of the portrait paper has a light pencil inscription "Sarah Shipman". The DaLees often lightly wrote the name of the sitters as they went about their day. This was probably the result of the fact that they would start the portraits in the homes of their clients then finish them later and return them to the sitter a day or two after the initial sitting. I have not been able to pin down genealogical information on Sarah Shipman. I have found two Sarahs who were living in New York City during the 1850 census who were about the right age. One was born in New Jersey about 1802 and the other was born in Connecticut about 1796. Neither is listed with a husband in the census and I have not been able to trace either back to their roots.

This Sarah Shipman is lovingly presented in a black dress with very full sleeves which were gathered in intervals from the elbow to the wrist. The black watercolor of the dress is lightly applied so that the lines of the dress can be detailed without the use of gum arabic. She wears a large black scarf that covers the neckline and bodice of the dress as well as a smaller white lace collar or pelerine above the scarf. The sheerness of her lace bonnet is depicted by groups of three dots and the glimpse of her hair beneath. Sarah sits upon a red painted mid-19th century windsor with a straight flat top rail that has black pinstriping. The familiar DaLee trademark black spandrel painting around the oval in which the portrait is painted is present in this portrait (not always so as I just sold another without the painted spandrels). Framed in a period gilt wood frame measuring 4" x 4 1/2". There are some light scratches to the glass which you can see in the photos. The miniature is in excellent condition.

(#4566) $4500

References:

Anderson, Marna A Loving Likeness American Folk Portraits of the Nineteenth Century, (Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (1992) 11-13.

Brownstein, Joan R. & Shushan, Elle, "Side Portrait Painters, Differentiating the DaLee Family Artists", The Magazine Antiques, July-August 2011. Click the link to read the pdf article posted on Joan Brownstein's website.

Payne, Suzanne Rudnick and Michael Payne, "To Please The Eye Justus Da Lee and His Family", Folk Art Magazine, 47 (Winter 2004/2005). Pdf copy of article published with permission of the American Folk Art Museum. (The article is contained in a large pdf file and may take a while to load onto your computer. It has beautiful color photos and is worth the wait.)

Rumsford, Beatrix, American Folk Portraits Paintings and Drawings from the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center, Boston: Little Brown, in association with Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (1981) p. 77-79.

Please see the Folk Portrait Artists page for more information about the DaLee family.

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