Description:

New Orleans School, mid-19th c., "Portrait of a Young Gentleman, thought to be a New Orleans Free Man of Color", oil on canvas, unsigned, 8 3/4 in. x 6 3/4 in., period frame. Provenance: New Orleans Auction Galleries, Jan. 21, 2001, lot 1127. Exh.: "In Search of Julien Hudson: Free Artist of Color in Pre-Civil War New Orleans", The Historic New Orleans Collection, New Orleans, LA, Jan. 20 - Apr. 20, 2011; Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC, July 22 - Oct. 16, 2011; Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA, Dec. 10, 2011 - Mar. 11, 2012; and illustrated in the accompanying catalogue, fig. 67, p. 90. Note: The small painting offered here is a fascinating window into nineteenth-century depictions of race and the clues they present to scholars working in this important field today. Previously described at auction as “Circle of Julien Hudson and Jules Lion,” the portrait of a young gentleman, thought to be a New Orleans free man of color, is likely not attributable to either artist due to clear stylistic differences. This fact does not make him any less interesting, however, as the work was included in The Historic New Orleans Collection exhibition “In Search of Julien Hudson: Free Artist of Color in Pre-Civil War New Orleans” in 2011. The rarity of the depiction makes it an important part of the study of both artists of color and their subjects in New Orleans in the nineteenth century.

  • Condition: If Condition is NOT stated in the description of the lot, the absence of a condition report does not indicate the lot is free of damage or condition issues. Available Condition Reports will appear as an additional image. Condition Reports and photographs may be requested on items until the Wednesday prior to the auction. Bid accordingly. All sales are final, no returns are accepted on the basis of condition.

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November 16, 2023 1:00 PM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

Neal Auction Company

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