Southern Antebellum Portraits by George S.Cook of Charleston,South Carolina

  • $5,500.00

The only known examples I have ever seen of portraits by southern artist and daguerreotypist George S.Cook of Charleston,South Carolina. These important c. 1860 oil pastel portraits show two striking unknown antebellum beauties, likely from an important family from Charleston. Each portrait is housed in it's original 23' x 28' inch stunning frame. The frames have a baby blue border with a gold motif that makes them simply spectacular. There is a label on the verso of each painting that states "Cook Artist Charleston". Cook's handling of pastels is lively,masterful,and varied. He summons a full range of effects which define him as a masterful colorist. His use of colors in both of these portraits electrifies the work. For the record George S. Cook was born in Stratford, Connecticut in 1819, was studying painting in New Orleans when photography was introduced in the United States in 1839. He immediately espoused the new medium and, until he settled down in 1849, helped to spread photography throughout the deep South. First, he ran a gallery in New Orleans, then he set out to teach the tricks of the trade to others in small, inland towns. He would teach a few students in each town while establishing a studio, then sell the business to the most promising student.

Cook settled in Charleston, South Carolina, to raise a family. During the Civil War, he was one of the foremost Confederate photographers and became famous by recording the gradual deterioration of Charleston and Fort Sumter. These wonderful paintings are sold as a pair. Fresh to the market.

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