American museum bidding online wins battle for pair of historical portraits
17 October 2022 A pair of portraits depicting a prominent Loyalist in the American War of Independence and his wife were bought online at a recent Bellmans sale.
A portrait of Arent DePeyster which sold together with a portrait of his wife Rebecca for £38,000 at Bellmans.
The auction house found the pair of oval oils on panel in a cupboard during a house clearance in South London. Each measured 18 x 15in (46 x 38cm).
They depicted Arent DePeyster (1736-1822) and his wife Rebecca. A member of a prominent New York family who served in the Eighth Regiment of the British army in North America, Arent DePeyster rose through the ranks becoming commandant of the British controlled Fort Michilimackinac from 1774-79 and later commandant of Fort Detroit during the revolutionary conflict (Detroit itself remained under British control until 1796).
DePeyster was also one of the key negotiators who persuaded Native Americans chiefs to fight on the side of the British. He gained their trust by supplying them with provisions and in return, they reputedly referred to him as ‘The Father’.
With commission interest ahead of the sale, they were bound to sell for substantially more on the day. With two US bidders participating online and on the phone, the price rose to £38,000 before the gavel fell to the internet buyer using thesaleroom.com. With premium, the price was £46,360.
A portrait of Rebecca DePeyster (née Blair) that sold together with a portrait of her husband Arent DePeyster for £38,000 at Bellmans.
The portraits were purchased by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, an agency of the State of Michigan, for their permanent museum collection. They operate several historic sites at the Straits of Mackinac, including a reconstruction of Fort Michilimackinac. Based on the style of his uniform, the portraits were thought to date from c.1790.
Steven C. Brisson, the director of the agency, said: “We have been aware of the existence of these portraits for many years and have used black and white copies, provided by the National Portrait Gallery of Scotland, in several publications and exhibits. We are extremely pleased to acquire the originals. We also have in our collection a stunning silver punch bowl, made by Smith & Sharp of London, that was presented to DePeyster by the traders at Fort Michilimackinac in 1779.”
Upcoming portraits
Numerous portraits emerge every week at auctions on thesaleroom.com.
A Sikh soldier by Hugo Vilfred Pedersen – estimated at £5000-7000 at Bonhams.
One depicting a Sikh soldier by the Danish painter Hugo Vilfred Pedersen (1870-1959) will be offered at Bonhams on October 25. The artist produced many Eastern scenes on his travels and the figure shown in this 15.5 x 10.5in (40 x 27cm) appears in other known studies by the artist.
The signed portrait at Bonhams is estimated at £5000-7000. View the catalogue entry for this Hugo Vilfred Pedersen portrait on thesaleroom.com.
Portrait of Mrs Esme Ablett by Hermann Israel Fechenbach – estimated at £1000-1500 at Lyon & Turnbull.
A portrait of Mrs Esme Ablett by Hermann Israel Fechenbach (1897-1986) is being offered at Lyon & Turnbull on October 28, estimated at £1000-1500.
The German artist studied at the Academies of Art in Stuttgart, Munich, Florence and Vienna between 1919 and 1926, and came to Britain in 1939 after the outbreak of the Second World War. This 23.25 x 19.25in (59 x 49cm) signed oil on canvas was painted in Oxfordshire and was commissioned from the artist by the sitter's husband, by whom it was given to the vendor.
View the catalogue entry for this Hermann Israel Fechenbach portrait on thesaleroom.com.
Portrait of Fath ‘Ali Shah by Muhammad Sadiq – estimated at £6000-8000 at Roseberys.
More images survive depicting Fath ‘Ali Shah (r.1797-1834) than of any other Qajar monarch, the result of an enormous effort to replicate images of the ruler for display throughout his realm.
As inscribed to a cartouche, this oil on canvas portrait appears to have been painted at the beginning of Fath ‘Ali Shah’s reign by Muhammad Sadiq, a court painter working from the 1740s into the 1790s.
Sadiq was known for painting delicate facial features, including cherry lips and languid eyes, setting his subject in landscape backgrounds and rooms rendered in the European manner.
The 2ft 8in x 20in (81 x 51cm) portrait, in a gilt plaster frame, has a guide of £6000-8000 at Roseberys London on October 28.
View the catalogue entry for this portrait of Fath ‘Ali Shah on thesaleroom.com.
