2006-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/31/2006
7 ½ x 11 (approx) on paper; in the classic Edouart style with delicate silver line edging on the coat, trousers, hat and hair to give it definition. Moss is standing near the end of a harbor wharf with few wood crates in the foreground and sailing vessels at anchor in the background. Artist’s penned signature in lower left: “Aug’n Edouart, Fecit / Philadel’a 1842.” Portrait displays just normal aging and exc. + condition with its narrow antique wood frame, the back of which still retains the original paper label of a very important, early and famous dealer in American Judaica and rare manuscripts “THE ROSENBACH GALLERIES / WALNUT STREET / PHILA” (an important and significant provenance to have with this portrait). JOHN MOSS (1771-1847), engaged at an early age in activities connected with the shipping industry, eventually came to own four large vessels which were employed chiefly in the Liverpool, England trade; he was a longtime director of the Pena Company for Insurance and also director of a railroad; a member of the board of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co. believed to have been the very first to ship abroad a cargo of Penna anthracite. He devoted himself also to civic and communal affairs; served on the Phila. city council; an ardent supporter of Andrew Jackson; a trustee of congr Mikve Israel and much more. It was John Moss, while on the board of the Mikve Israel who amended the proposal to re-engage Leeser for a period of ten years and approve his requested salary by a wide margin…AUGUSTIN EDOUART (1789-1861) famous artist silhouettetist. During a ten year visit to America 1839-1849 he produced silhouettes throughout the country, visiting Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, New Orleans, etc. returning to France in 1849, creating a portrait record of the most famous Americans of the period, including U.S. presidents, members of Supreme Court, governors, high ranking naval officers (including Uriah Levy, U.S.N.), judges, famous authors and many more. His stay in Philadelphia produced a number of important Jewish silhouette portraits many of which are illustrated in “SHADES OF MY FOREFATHERS” (1941) by Hannah R. London (reprinted 1970 as “MINIATURES AND SILHOUETTES OF EARLY AMERICAN JEWS”) by Hannah R. London. A near identical mate to the John Moss portrait offered here is illustrated in that Hannah London book (page 177) with the same pose and the same background but it is noticeably not identical as the placement of some objects differ and the artist’s signature in the lower right. It is noted, that it was common for a silhouettist, and Edouart in particular, to make duplicate copies for the subject or his family. It is noted that in the large work published by the National Portrait Gallery: “AUGUSTE EDOUART’S SILHOUETTES OF EMINENT AMERICANS 1839-1844” by Andrew Oliver (1977) there is illustrated a near identical silhouette of JOHN MOSS also by Edouart 1842, but depicted without any background! (It is noted that Edouart commonly added designs from lithographs for his backgrounds to suit the needs of the subject or client). Even Isaac Leeser had his silhouette made! The well-known work: “ISAAC LEESER AND THE MAKING OF AMERICAN JUDAISM (1995)”by L.J. Sussman illustrates a similar depiction of him (opp. P.235) dated 1843 and quite like produced by Edouart as well. Accompanying the Moss portrait is a wealth of photostatic material from the mentioned works and others about Moss and Edouart. Identified portraits of notable early American Jewish personages are of exceptional rarity. Less than a handful have ever been offered for public…or, for that matter, private sale
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