Folk Art Portrait on Canvas Ca. 1830 by Micah Williams. When we found this portrait, it showed old restoration work, flaking, and climatic distress. We figured the portrait was worth saving. The portrait has been fully cleaned, relined (hot wax method), and re-varnished. Some old overpainting of the face was removed and conserved following the original lines and paint. Inpainting is noticeable using black light on those areas. His eyes, ear, and the hair details are untouched. There are also other minor inpaintings in scattered areas of the portrait. The whole process is quality restoration and conservation. It retains its original stretcher; the canvas shows some craquelure, which adds charm and character. The entire portrait has been stabilized. White, dust-like spots on the sitter’s tunic is reflection of the light through camera lens. Although the sitter is unknown and that the work is unsigned, we attribute this portrait to Micah Williams based on style. He wears a freemason pin, obviously a mason, and has kind blue eyes. He sits on a reddish brown chair holding a book. An artist who was not shy of painting hands painted this portrait. As you can see, the sitter’s hand is very well formed. I understand Williams worked mostly with pastel, so this oil painting must be quite scarce rare (one source says only 18 are known). Because the portrait lacked its frame when we discovered it, after the conservation process we framed it in its appropriate, though modern, of-the-period golden frame. We chose this simple frame to highlight the portrait without overwhelming it. The canvas measures 22 x 26 inches; the frame is 2.5 inches wide on each side. The framed painting weighs about 11 pounds. Packed weight would be about 16 pounds or so, rough estimate. This has to go by UPS, I think. An eBayer was kind enough to write me. Without a doubt, your painting was done by the 19th century artist, Micah Williams probably while working in New York. You can google him under images and compare other pictures or order the book, “Micah Williams Portrait Artist, ” from the Monmouth County Historical Association, in Monmouth County, NJ. If you compare the yellow pages and the white interior of the book and the treatment of the book cover and the style of the shirt and the out lining of the face, you will see that it is the same as most of his paintings. Hope this is of some help. Again, I have no doubt that your painting is by Williams. The last photo (from the internet, not a part of this sale) shows a portrait by Micah Williams. Just compare it with ours. This item is in the category “Art\Paintings”. The seller is “01somewhere10″ and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States.

• Region of Origin: US-Northeast
• Listed By: Dealer or Reseller
• Date of Creation: 1800-1899
• Type: Paintings
• Original/Reproduction: Original
• Style: Folk & Indigenous