Oil on canvas (lined), circa 1835-1840, unsigned, presented in a later ebonized and gilt frame.

DOA 35.75 x 30 in.

Estate of the late Lynn Fisher, Raleigh, NC

By descent through the family of William Wallace Adam's daughter, Mary Adam Henderson (1844-1907), Alexandria, VA
Sam Tarlton, Raleigh, NC (acquired circa 1980)

Published:
Hollan, Catherine B. Virginia Silversmiths, Jewelers, Clock- and Watchmakers, 1607-1860, Their Lives and Marks. McLean, VA, Hollan Press, 2010.

This painting descended in the family of William Wallace Adam's daughter, Mary Adam Henderson, grand-daughter of John Adam, and has long been identified as a self-portrait of the silversmith in his prime. The sitter is depicted three-quarter length before a curtain and holding a porte-crayon, a chalk holder used in sketching. Adam was described in the family as a "painter of merit" and was friends with the artist Thomas Sully. Despite his painterly talents, Adam is best known for his extensive silver production. He maintained a shop briefly in Georgetown before establishing a shop in Alexandria, VA.

The portrait of his son, William Wallace Adam, is offered in this sale as lot 366.

Stable craquelure.

$1,000 - 3,000