Oil on copper, unsigned, likely 19th century in the manner of early 18th century portraits, presented under glass in later gilt frames with velvet liners.

Copper plate 10 3/4 x 7 3/8 in.; Frame dimensions 13 x 9 3/4 in.

From the Collection of the late Sterling Boyd, Raleigh, North Carolina
Sterling Boyd was a consummate collector and Southern gentleman. Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, he studied art history at Sewanee: The University of the South, Oberlin College, and received his doctorate from Princeton University. He shared his enthusiasm for the fine arts through positions at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond and the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. Boyd also taught and mentored future art historians at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and later headed the art department at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Following his academic and museum careers, Sterling Boyd channeled his talents for interior design and decoration. His Raleigh apartment was a cabinet of curiosities, each item carefully collected from his world travels and perfectly placed in his jewel box of a home.

Portrait of a noblewoman removed from frame - some minor evidence of retouch visible under UV light. Portrait of a nobleman has not been removed from the frame.