Judge Robert R. Livingston

Art

Historic Hudson Valley

Name/Title

Entry/Object ID

MP.97.2 a-c

Description

A. Half-length portrait miniature of a man in black clothes holding a letter. Man has dark hair swept back and grey eyes. He is shown in frontal view. He wears black coat, a greyish black vest fastened with four buttons, a ruffled white cravat with fringed ends; on his right hand a white ruffled cuff is seen. In the right hand, he holds a letter, which has very naturalistic appearance of traces of being folded. In the background from left to right, we can see an outdoor scene with sky and trees, a grey wall and a lower portion of a Doric column. The miniature is oval, painted on a thin piece of ivory mounted on parchment. There is also a rectangular wooden backing with inscription on it and a glass cover (C) with eglomise painting around the opening for the miniature in gilt: an olive branch tied with ribbon above it and an inscription "Judge Livingston" under it. B. Frame: Wood and gesso gilded concave frame with palmette motif inner border.

Artwork Details

Medium

Gesso, Parchment, Ivory, Watercolor, glass, Wood, Gesso, Parchment, Ivory, Watercolor, Glass, Wood

Subject Person or Organization

Judge Robert R. Livingston

Made/Created

Artist Information

Artist

Unknown

Attribution

Artist

Date made

circa 1800

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Inscription

Transcription

On the back of the wooden backing: "Robert R. Livingston, Sr. Father of Chancellor Rob't R. Livingston Hon. Edward Livingston"

Other Names and Numbers

Other Numbers

MP.97.2 A-C

MP.97.2

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Frame

Height

9-1/2 in

Width

8 in

Depth

1-3/4 in

Dimension Notes

Display Dimensions: 9 1/2 x 8 x 1 3/4 in. (24.1 x 20.3 x 4.4 cm)

Dimension Description

Glass

Height

7-1/2 in

Width

6 in

Dimension Notes

Display Dimensions: 7 1/2 x 6 in. (19.1 x 15.2 cm)

Dimension Description

Ivory case

Height

3-3/4 in

Width

2-3/4 in

Dimension Notes

Display Dimensions: 3 3/4 x 2 3/4 in. (9.5 x 7 cm)

Dimension Description

Parchment

Height

5-3/4 in

Width

4-3/8 in

Dimension Notes

Display Dimensions: 5 3/4 x 4 3/8 in. (14.6 x 11.1 cm)

Condition

Notes

Remarks: Details of condition: The miniature is dirty, the white paint on the cravat is flaking and coming off. The parchment is very badly damaged by heat - very stiff, wrinkled and soiled. The paint is also coming off the eglomise painting which was used to cover the miniature. The frame is all crackled, the gilt is coming off.

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Judge Robert R. Livingston

Notes

Subject

General Notes

Note Type

Curatorial Remarks

Note

A letter from Katherine G. Eirk (Feb. 2, 1998) with comments on the attribution: "It appears to me to be a copy of an earlier painting that makes attribution harder than usual. It is not a Peale (you'd mentioned the possibility), nor does it bear any resemblance to (either) Dickinson. The almond-shaped eyes are reminiscent of Pierre Henri but he is not as "good" as your miniature. For Henri, see America Portrait Miniatures: The Worcester Art Museum Collection by Susan E. Strickler."

Note Type

General Note

Note

and Case

Note Type

StorageNote

Note

Home Location: Historic Hudson Valley, Union Church, Storage, Shelf 13D

Note Type

Department

Note

Curatorial