Description:
Beautiful pair of antique, artist-signed, miniature portraits in what appear to be original brass frames.
Both are signed A Prosdocimi for Alberto
Prosdocimi (Italian 1852-1925). Prosdocimi lived all his life in Venice and is best known for wonderful atmospheric watercolors and oils of that city. He is also known to have painted miniatures. The signature appears on the right side @ 3:00 in each.
The pair are probably an American husband and wife painted at the time of their marriage. Their clothing, hair and grooming date them to the 1860s. They are exquisitely painted down to the tiniest details.
She has gray eyes and brown hair worn in long ringlets. She wears a coat over her black dress. There is white lace around her throat with a gold and malachite brooch below. Her look of bright intellect and assured modesty mark her as a woman
of singular ability who makes a success of everything she puts her hand to.
He has the look of someone used to prosperity and security, but there is a dreamy attitude to his blue eyes that makes one think he is more comfortable with "artistic" pursuits than business. Although probably in his 20s, his hair is receding. He wears his rather thin whiskers in the "imperial" style after French emperor Napoleon III.
The matching, plain, brass frames have hanging loops and twisted wire easel backs.
EACH MEASURES: 2-1/4 x 2-3/4 inches
Very good overall condition. All original. Note there is a slight crack on the left edge of the painting of the gentleman.
Given the fashions of the sitters and the birth date of the signing artist, dating the pictures is problematic. Either the painter was very young or he created the portraits from 25-35 year old photographs—not an uncommon practice. Perhaps the couple's grown daughter sent dauguerotypes taken at the time of their marriage (with a letter detailing hair and eye color) to Prosdocimi, and gave the resulting miniatures as an anniversary present.
We leave it to you to check the backs for dates as we did not want to break the solder seals of the frames.
Please see our inventory for more fine antiques.
My
Basket
