The collections provenance is the portrait appearing at auction at Sothebys Parke Benet (NYC) on 1-27-1979 as lot 31 at the Stewart Gregory Sale. Previously had been exhibited at Eye On America as # 70. Gregory purchased the work from Avis & Rockwell Gardiner of Stamford, CT. Next Northeast Auctions (Manchester, N.H.) sold on 10-27-2007, lot 625 among the collection of Claude & AIvan Bisnoff. There sold to David Wheatcroft with he selling that year to The Pinker’s Collection of British, American, and European Folk Art in the United Kingdom. Latest being sold by Dreweatts (Newbury Berkshire) as part of the Pinker’s Collection Sale in the UK on 11-24-2020 as lot 104 to myself. Probably dates circa 1815 from the Lancaster, PA. vicinity.

Condition: Excellent tone with little if any UV fading to the colors. Several spots, visible outside and above the hat in hand, likely from corrosive material once behind the image. Three dots of foxing above the trees at the subject’s right foot. Paper is not laid to any support though with five tears at the margin which appear to have been taped from the reverse, as all are tight with no paper loss, which require a close inspection to discern. Longest of these is 1” with a 1/4” tear at the bottom the only intruding the painted image. I am unable to discern any of these at two feet distance so if you can live with the spots the tears are of little consequence. Frame I believe to be poplar with the greater wear at the outside edges. Not sure if frame original though seems consistent to image and date with a period ring hanger sited at center of the top. Label on the reverse of a NYC framer who likely packaged the reverse with non acidic backing, spacers, UV filtering glass and may have taped the tears. Have not disassembled the framing. Generally good condition comparatively within the trove of surviving Maentel portraits.