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Lot Essay
Striking, minimalist and mesmerizingly beautiful, this portrait of Mrs. Ruth (Haynes) Palmer is an exemplary work by Ammi Phillips (1788-1865). One of the more important itinerant portrait painters of early 19th century, Phillips portraited his sitters in a literal and immediate manner that is uniquely modern and captivating.
Here, Phillips creates a powerful composition with a genius application of color and use of space. The blue of the drapery captures the viewer’s attention and upon closer inspection, matches Mrs. Palmer’s eyes. Blue was a deliberate choice made by Phillips and is a departure from his trademark red, often seen in his figures’ clothing and in his celebrated portraits of children. There are very few known examples in which he paints a blue swagged curtain, another being Girl with Cat, dated circa 1814 (Amon Carter Museum of American Art, no. 1967.199). Here, the drapery is perfectly balanced by her fancy painted chair on which one elbow rests. The other hand holds a carnation sprig, a symbol of love and perhaps a nod to her young marriage. Phillips’ restrained use of color allows for each detail to dramatically pop against the dark background. These compositional elements are reflective of Phillips’ “Troy” period, which includes works painted between 1818-20 that demonstrate the development of his painterly skills and the influence of Albany-based artist Ezra Ames (1768-1836).
Ammi Phillips, born in Colebrook, Connecticut, was a mysterious figure for almost five decades. The 500 or so works now attributed to him were once thought to have been by the hand of several artists on the basis of the disparate styles observed. The characteristics of his portraits are now understood in periods related to his development as an artist; most recognized are those of the “The Border Limner” period (1812-1819) and the “Kent Limner” period (1829-1838). The names, which were previously used to identify distinct artists, are associated to the places where Phillips was creating.
Phillips paints Mrs. Palmer as arrestingly beautiful and charming, and with details characteristic of his "Troy" period. Her flowing dress dominates the canvas while her lace collar frames her delicate face. Seemingly subtle, yet bold in its restraint, is the choice of white; extremely impractical and expensive for the time, it was surely a thoughtful decision which conveys the sitter’s stature and would have been noticed by her peers. The present portrait is identified as the earliest example from a group of women in white by Phillips. All of the sitters were from the same region to the west of the Hudson River and came from prominent families. Mrs. Palmer’s dress is designed with a drawstring below the bust, which was later replaced by a band. The evolution of this fashion trend in the early to mid-1820s can be directly followed in Phillips’ women in white portraits. For a further discussion on this topic, see Brownstein and Terkowitz, “Ammi Phillips’s Women in White: A Brilliant Formula”, Antiques (November 2007), pp. 154-161.
Mrs. Ruth (Haynes) Palmer (1797-1873) was the daughter of John Haynes (1774-1863) and Phebe Peck (1773-1847), both of whom were also painted by Phillips. She married William Palmer (1795-1865) in 1816 and they settled in Hoosick, Rensselaer County, New York. Together, they had eight children and records show that they had moved to Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York by 1850. William was involved in several business ventures, most notably milling. He built mills in Plattsburgh dedicated to the manufacture of woolen and cotton cloths. He also operated a general store and was an organizer of the railroad project laying a track from Plattsburgh to Montreal. William’s various sources of income allowed the family substantial wealth. The 1850 Federal Census lists the value of his real estate at $35,000, the equivalent of about $1,400,000 today.
Here, Phillips creates a powerful composition with a genius application of color and use of space. The blue of the drapery captures the viewer’s attention and upon closer inspection, matches Mrs. Palmer’s eyes. Blue was a deliberate choice made by Phillips and is a departure from his trademark red, often seen in his figures’ clothing and in his celebrated portraits of children. There are very few known examples in which he paints a blue swagged curtain, another being Girl with Cat, dated circa 1814 (Amon Carter Museum of American Art, no. 1967.199). Here, the drapery is perfectly balanced by her fancy painted chair on which one elbow rests. The other hand holds a carnation sprig, a symbol of love and perhaps a nod to her young marriage. Phillips’ restrained use of color allows for each detail to dramatically pop against the dark background. These compositional elements are reflective of Phillips’ “Troy” period, which includes works painted between 1818-20 that demonstrate the development of his painterly skills and the influence of Albany-based artist Ezra Ames (1768-1836).
Ammi Phillips, born in Colebrook, Connecticut, was a mysterious figure for almost five decades. The 500 or so works now attributed to him were once thought to have been by the hand of several artists on the basis of the disparate styles observed. The characteristics of his portraits are now understood in periods related to his development as an artist; most recognized are those of the “The Border Limner” period (1812-1819) and the “Kent Limner” period (1829-1838). The names, which were previously used to identify distinct artists, are associated to the places where Phillips was creating.
Phillips paints Mrs. Palmer as arrestingly beautiful and charming, and with details characteristic of his "Troy" period. Her flowing dress dominates the canvas while her lace collar frames her delicate face. Seemingly subtle, yet bold in its restraint, is the choice of white; extremely impractical and expensive for the time, it was surely a thoughtful decision which conveys the sitter’s stature and would have been noticed by her peers. The present portrait is identified as the earliest example from a group of women in white by Phillips. All of the sitters were from the same region to the west of the Hudson River and came from prominent families. Mrs. Palmer’s dress is designed with a drawstring below the bust, which was later replaced by a band. The evolution of this fashion trend in the early to mid-1820s can be directly followed in Phillips’ women in white portraits. For a further discussion on this topic, see Brownstein and Terkowitz, “Ammi Phillips’s Women in White: A Brilliant Formula”, Antiques (November 2007), pp. 154-161.
Mrs. Ruth (Haynes) Palmer (1797-1873) was the daughter of John Haynes (1774-1863) and Phebe Peck (1773-1847), both of whom were also painted by Phillips. She married William Palmer (1795-1865) in 1816 and they settled in Hoosick, Rensselaer County, New York. Together, they had eight children and records show that they had moved to Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York by 1850. William was involved in several business ventures, most notably milling. He built mills in Plattsburgh dedicated to the manufacture of woolen and cotton cloths. He also operated a general store and was an organizer of the railroad project laying a track from Plattsburgh to Montreal. William’s various sources of income allowed the family substantial wealth. The 1850 Federal Census lists the value of his real estate at $35,000, the equivalent of about $1,400,000 today.