Antique American Folk Silhouette from Collection of the Late Henderson Supplee--"Margaret Gilbert"

Peggy McClard Antiques

Americana & Folk Art

	This wonderful and rare hollow cut silhouette is by the an anonymous American silhouettist whom I have dubbed the "Recycle Artist". This American folk artist always cut his or her whimsical three-quarter body length silhouettes into painted chairs. The chairs are always curved back wooden chairs with paint decoration and what appears to be upholstery between the side and top rails of the chair. I have seen less than fifteen silhouettes by this anonymous artist, including this one. I was lucky enough to acquire five recently from the same collection (although I believe that another young woman from the collection is done "after" the Recycle Artist--she will be listed today also). The Henry Luce Center Collection (a study center of the Metropolitan Museum of Art) owns a pair which is supposedly from Philadelphia and done in 1823. A single woman by this hand is illustrated in the book, A Loving Likeness American Folk Portraits of the Nineteenth Century, at page 56. This artist apparently always depicted his sitters in a paint decorated chair. All of the sitters that I have seen are holding books. Women have bonnets or combs and dress collars with watercolor embellishment. This was a "green" artist who practiced recycling. Although I found no obviously recycled materials in the five recently acquired silhouettes, the background paper of the previously sold man was a letter-press handbill that had been painted black. The background paper on the pair in my collection is hand-blocked wallpaper of which the artist painted the verso black. When the artist used fabric backing, he/she always used a minimum of fabric. Like many itinerant folk artists, the paper used by this artist was not the best quality which generally has resulted in darkening and acid staining where the paper has touched the wood backboard, be hit with too much ultraviolet light or kept in a house with a moist atmosphere. Several points make this a highly desirable folk silhouette—it is by rare artist; is of an exceptional, whimsical style (I always love this artist's hands but these are the best!); of a beautifully depicted stately older woman (right down to her tiny, cut eyelash); done in a classically, creative American 1820s styling; includes an American paint decorated chair, open book, spectacles and folky painted hands, very well detailed lace bonnet and shawl. The artist did some extra-creative cutting by cutting the shawl into a peninsula so that you can see the dark backing for both of her arms. He/she also cut a little sliver between the bonnet and shawl so that her neck shows through the hollow-cutting. I've never seen this silhouette cut the figure all the way to the bottom of the page as he did with this woman. But, this unusual addition gives her a more stately appearance. The watercolor enhancements for the bonnet and shawl are very well executed., all the way down to the very thin dark ribbons that run through her bonnet. This silhouettist always painted great folky hands, but these are exquisitely naïve with longish thumbnails and wrinkles in the hands. Her profile is wonderfully executed with a cut eyelash, a double chin and the receding gum-line of an elderly person. The open book on her lap has a cover of red over black and she holds here eyeglasses on the open book with her thumb. She sits upon a wood chair, paint decorated with black over red. The silhouette is in a period moulded wood frame that has been regilded with oil-based gilt (which gives it a matte finish instead of the shiny finish of water gilding. Framed size is 8 3/4" x 7 7/8". The black card background had oxidized to green where the ultraviolet light had hit it (see scanned image below). I have slipped a 100% acid free sheet of black paper between the silhouette and original backing so that it looks more like intended when viewing. However, I set the original backing card behind the new black paper so you could switch it back if you want. This framed silhouette came to me without a wood back board, so I've backed it with 100% acid free ragboard. The back of the paper has a period ink inscription says: Margaret Gilbert born 1757 died 1826 - born in Germany. married William Higgins Esq. - afterward married --Eaves Esq. and -- Coldwater Esq. Great-great grandmother of H. M. C. and S.C.C. I have not been able to trace Margaret Gilbert's genealogy. I believe this Great-Great Grannie is probably from the same family as the lady listed immediately before her, who has a partial inscription naming her as someone's great-great-grannie....you might need both for your collection! The work of this artist is extremely rare and highly desirable. Circa 1825. (#5011) Sale Pending Provenance: ex-Henderson & Mary Baker Supplee. Henderson Supplee Jr. ("Wooz") was the V.P., then President and ultimately Chairman of the Board of Arco. He was responsible for revitalizing Arco and played an important part in merging Arco into Atlantic Richfield Co. He graduated in the Princeton Class of 1926 and was married to his wife Mary Osborne Baker from 1928 until his death in 1992.




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