Offered is an important ca. 1800-1805 portrait of a lady by
America’s first African-American portraitist.
It purportedly depicts Mary Crozier, born in Maryland ca. 1781, a part
of the greater historic Catholic migration to Nelson County, Kentucky. Thought to have been painted from a pre-existing
miniature, this rendition was accomplished in Baltimore by the famed Joshua
Johnson and descended in this prominent Maryland- Kentucky- New Orleans family,
having recently surfaced in the latter city with descendants of the sitter and
dispersed in Kentucky. Mistakenly
attributed initially to the Spanish Colonial portraitist Salazar who worked in
a similar style, consultation with several Louisiana art scholars determined
this was in error. Gaining more family
provenance, I found the portrait came from the early Maryland Crozier family
via Bardstown and was taken to Mississippi by descendants, passing through
grandson Edward W. Crozier Jr. of Washington County, MS (see The Papers of
Jefferson Davis 1846-1848). Further published
reference to the family can be found in Randall Capps' book on Federal Hill and
the Rowan family, who knew them very well, in addition to the biography of
Mother Catherine Spalding, Mary being one of her closest friends outside the
convent.
As a caveat, I need to explain that Johnson portraits are
extremely important artistically, historically, & culturally. Johnson, born enslaved, was America's first
important black colonial artist. He
works are scarce, with little recent auction record (most have spurious
attributions). The oil on canvas of Mrs.
Crozier, a classic example of Johnson's figural interpretation, warrants
restoration, however, it displays well "as is" and would be suitable to
many collectors without any work done.
It has, though, endured 200 years of the climate of Kentucky,
Mississippi, and Louisiana as well as two early 20th century restorations that
weren't of the quality we might demand today.
This portrait has certainly suffered from its long Southern
ownership. A hot, moist climate is a
painting’s worst enemy! There are no
tears or punctures that I can note, but the canvas has undergone at least 2
early 20th century restorations. It was removed
from its original stretchers and laid onto board. There are scattered losses, mostly to the
background, but some noticeable small losses to the extremities of the face and
arms are found that were restored with an amateurish hand. Subsequent minor areas of loss were as well
poorly colored in without adding filler first.
The worst, most obvious facial losses are found on at the left
cheek/neck, the left chin, and at the right shoulder/chest, all having been
crudely in-painted in the old restorations.
More in-painting and over-painting can be seen in the dress and
background. Overall, she survives in
fair but displayable condition, and while the piece warrants restoration, it
can, again, easily be hung “as-is”.
I at first thought the frame to be a replacement, which it
may well be, but it appears to be Southern yellow pine, and of a decent age
itself. I'd need to examine it further,
but it's a decent frame and may well be period
Still, despite condition issues, she is a Southern folk
beauty, another surviving Johnson masterpiece, and remains basically intact and
ready to hang. Due to the undeniable condition
issues, however, she will be priced accordingly, far less than the record range
for Joshua Johnson's portraits. At this
time, I can find but a single Johnson portrait on the market, offered by a New
York art dealer and priced “to the trade” at $180,000.00. Considering the scarcity and importance of
the artist, this range may well be justified. I can, on request, provide that dealer’s data sheet which explains
better than I the importance of any surviving canvas by Johnson. It, like the Crozier portrait, is unsigned,
as all Joshua Johnson portraits are, but was oddly not presented in
"ovolo" as is more common for Johnson to have done. The Crozier portrait displays Johnson's
signature ovolo framing of the subject, as well as the common palette of colors
expected. It’s a quintessential example
of the American Master’s work.
This link takes you to a discussion of the restoration of Winterthur's Johnson portrait. Very enlightening.
http://collectingforthefuture.winterthur.org/portfolio/joshua-johnson/