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Lot Essay
This pair of portraits of Mr. and Mrs. George Clark is an exceptional example of Micah Williams' colorful pastel renderings of local New Jersey residents in the early nineteenth century. A successful itinerant artist working primarily in Middlesex and Monmouth counties, New Jersey, Williams is credited with over one hundred pastel portraits executed between 1818 and 1830.
These portraits were commissioned to commemorate the marriage of Mayke Polhemus to George Clark of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Both the bride and groom were 57 years old when they married on December 1, 1821, shortly after the death of Mayke's first husband, Daniel Polhemus. Placid and realistic in composition and execution, these portraits are skillfully rendered in a full realization of Williams' signature style. The hand of the artist is evident in the detailed, heavy modeling of the sitters' clothing, hair and facial features. Foregoing the plain backgrounds and muted tones common to most of his portraits, Williams frames the static, serene figures of Mr. and Mrs. Clarke in a lively and brilliantly colored landscape. A finely rendered dove, a traditional symbol of love and marriage, is perched on Mrs. Clarke's outstretched finger, an elegant addition to the composition of the portrait.
These portraits were commissioned to commemorate the marriage of Mayke Polhemus to George Clark of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Both the bride and groom were 57 years old when they married on December 1, 1821, shortly after the death of Mayke's first husband, Daniel Polhemus. Placid and realistic in composition and execution, these portraits are skillfully rendered in a full realization of Williams' signature style. The hand of the artist is evident in the detailed, heavy modeling of the sitters' clothing, hair and facial features. Foregoing the plain backgrounds and muted tones common to most of his portraits, Williams frames the static, serene figures of Mr. and Mrs. Clarke in a lively and brilliantly colored landscape. A finely rendered dove, a traditional symbol of love and marriage, is perched on Mrs. Clarke's outstretched finger, an elegant addition to the composition of the portrait.