Mount Vernon Pastel Leads at Potomack

The Potomack Company, Alexandria, Virginia

Photos courtesy The Potomack Company

The October 29 and 30 auctions at The Potomack Company included American fine and decorative arts as well as American historical and political material. The sales were conducted online from the firm’s Alexandria, Virginia, galleries.

While there was a wide assortment of lots offered from multiple consignors, the sales included lots from two notable groups. One was a series of lots consigned by descendants of the family of George Washington, and the other was a collection of original patriotic posters from World War I and World War II.

The high lot of the sale was this 18" x 14" (sight size) pastel on paper depicting St. John the Evangelist. The artist is unknown. The work was offered with documented provenance directly from George and Martha Washington to its consignment by descendants of John Augustine Washington III, the last private owner of Mount Vernon. Wills, estate inventories, auction records, and family histories trace this pastel to its having been displayed by Washington at Mount Vernon. A copy of this piece can be seen to the left of the mantel in this photo of the New Room from the Mount Vernon website. The pastel at Potomack, the original, housed within its original carved and gilded rococo frame, sold for $317,500 (est. $250,000/500,000).

The high lot of the two sales came from among the items consigned by the Washington family descendants. A pastel portrait of St. John the Evangelist by an unknown artist sold for $317,500 (including buyer’s premium); it was estimated at $250,000/500,000.

Although George Washington was an advocate of religious freedom, he displayed very little sacred or religious art at Mount Vernon. Only two such pieces can be authenticated as having been among the furnishings in the home. The paintings were housed in matching 18th-century gilded rococo frames. One is a painting of Virgin Mary and the Christ child. The other is the portrait of St. John the Evangelist that was offered at this sale. In a presale press release, The Potomack Company suggested that since St. John the Evangelist is the patron saint of Freemasonry, and since Washington was an active member of the Masons, the portrait may have held special meaning for him.

The history of both paintings can be documented through various inventories, 19th-century auction records, and family histories. The Virgin Mary painting has been reacquired by Mount Vernon. The St. John the Evangelist pastel is unique, as it likely represents one of the only authenticated pieces of Mount Vernon furnishings that remain in private hands.

In addition to the pastel, other noteworthy lots related to the Washington family crossed the block. A framed sheet of writing paper displaying George Washington’s personal watermark sold for $3492.50 (est. $3000/5000). The watermark consists of a circular device lettered “GEORGE WASHINGTON” and surmounted with a left-facing griffin. Lady Liberty is seated in the center, holding a staff with a liberty cap and what appears to be a bouquet. A pair of 18½" high 18th-century Chinese export pistol-handle urns with covers settled within its estimate at $9525. The urns are believed to have been originally owned by Washington’s friend and neighbor George Mason and then descended through that family to the extended Washington family.

The poster collection included 65 lots. Many of those lots consisted of multiple examples. Wartime themes such as recruitment, war bonds, the Red Cross, and support for the home front were most common. Examples from noted illustrators were featured, including James Montgomery Flagg, Howard Chandler Christy, Joseph Pennell, and N. C. Wyeth.

For additional information, contact The Potomack Company at (703) 684-4550 or see the website (www.potomackcompany.com).

These six silver forks are by Alexandria, Virginia, silversmith William Wallace Adam (1817-1877), who was active beginning in 1831. Each fork is stamped with his mark and engraved with the Washington family coat of arms. The utensils brought $3175 (est. $2000/4000).

This pale aqua mid-19th-century free-blown lily pad creamer features an upward-swept body, an applied handle, and threaded neck decoration. The jug is 6½" high overall and appears to be undamaged. It sold for $3492.50 (est. $1500/2500).

This lot consists of four items. The delicate yellow gold bracelet features a small plaque (left) engraved with George Washington’s coat of arms and with “Mount Vernon” above. It is thought to have been made for a Washington descendant. What is certain is that in 1861 it was repaired for John Augustine Washington III by Baltimore jeweler Samuel Kirk & Sons. John Augustine Washington III was the great-grand-nephew of George Washington. The bracelet lot also includes two strands of 14k gold beads strung with dried coffee beans and an oval leather box. It is known that Washington grew coffee at Mount Vernon. The lot sold for $13,970 (est. $4000/8000).

The oil on canvas portrait of English miniature portraitist Ozias Humphry (1742-1810) is by Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828). It was likely painted during Stuart’s time in the United Kingdom. The 29¾" x 24" (sight size) portrait sold for $17,780 (est. $8000/12,000).

Pennsylvania’s Tuscarora Valley is depicted in this 30¼" x 42¼" oil on canvas by William Coventry Wall (1810-1886). The landscape consists of a distant range of mountains, a body of water in the mid-ground, and farmhouses and fenced fields closer to the viewer. Two figures and a dog are shown surveying the scene. The painting is signed and dated 1859 lower left, and on the reverse it is titled, signed, and dated “Tuscarora Valley, Pa / W.C. Wall / 1859.” It sold for $25,400 (est. $30,000/50,000).

This painting by Mabel May Woodward (1877-1945) depicts an unidentified market scene. The 16" x 19½" painting is signed lower right. Although the location is not specific, the arched spaces resemble a portion of the open arcade below Market Hall in Charleston, South Carolina. The Market Hall & Sheds (as those alcoves are called) are on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark. The painting sold for $4445 (est. $1000/2000).

This circa 1790 silver meat skewer is believed to be by New York silversmith Ephraim Brasher and is twice marked “EB” near the loop handle. There is strong suspicion that this skewer may have been among four skewers purchased by George Washington from Brasher and likely used at Mount Vernon. This skewer sold for $9525 (est. $1000/2000).

First-edition comic books occupy a rarified world of their own. This 1940 number 1 edition of Batman, Spring issue, from DC Comics introduces the world to “All Brand New Adventures of THE BATMAN and ROBIN, The Boy Wonder.” This issue also introduces the Joker and the Cat, who later became Catwoman. As with all things in the collectibles world, condition is everything. This example was graded 1.0 on the CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) scale of 1 to 10. Nevertheless it sold for $57,150 (est. $15,000/25,000).

Titled Surf, this watercolor is by Alice Ravenel Huger Smith of Charleston, South Carolina (1876-1958). Smith was a prominent figure in the Charleston art community and is best remembered for her street and marsh scenes. This painting, depicting only breaking waves and sea birds, is signed and dated [19]31. Painted on watercolor board, the 13" x 21¾" work sold for $16,510 (est. $15,000/30,000).

The maker of this Federal mahogany bookcase desk is a mystery. The level of design and craftsmanship is certainly refined. The upper case features a broken-arch pediment with lightwood inlay. The rectangular bookcase features four fixed shelves enclosed by doors with arched and lozenge-shape panes. The desk portion of the lower case has a fully developed interior with two doors enclosing linen drawers below. An inlaid fan is centered on the shaped skirt. The entire piece is raised on delicate French feet. While there is no known maker, one of the document drawers is stenciled “SHIRKEY / FECIT / OCTR 20th / 1805.” Speculation is that the last name may be a misspelling of Sharkey. George Sharkey was a Hagerstown, Maryland, cabinetmaker at the turn of the 19th century. Further research is needed to identify the maker. The 96" high bookcase desk sold for $1905 (est. $2000/3000).

The circa 1960 sterling silver Reed & Barton tea set in the Diamond pattern consists of a coffeepot, teapot, covered sugar bowl, creamer, and waste bowl. Designed to complement the Diamond pattern flatware introduced by Gio Ponti in 1958, each piece displays an angled conical body. The handles are wrapped, and the finials are elongated. The set is presented on an oval silver-plate tray and sold for $3175 (est. $1500/2500).

Beneath the various auction, private collection, and retail stickers is a small (3" diameter) cut glass plaque. In the center is sulphide profile of the Marquis de Lafayette. The maker is not identified, but Baccarat is believed to have produced similar cup-plate-size pieces during the first half of the 19th century. This plaque appears to be undamaged and sold for $1651 (est. $600/800).

The mid-19th-century southern sideboard is constructed of mahogany with what appears to be yellow pine secondary wood. The rectangular case features a single-board backsplash with swan’s neck arches, each highlighted with a carved rosette. The skirt mimics the splashboard but without rosettes. There are three cockbeaded drawers above four fielded-panel doors. The forward edges of the case display intricately turned applied half columns. There is cross-hatched decoration between the drawers and lower doors. The 54½" x 67" x 21" case is raised on turned and reeded legs. The sideboard sold for $5715 (est. $5000/10,000).

The 12 dinner plates by KPM (Berlin Royal Porcelain Factory), 9½" diameter, are decorated with a spread-wing eagle above a 13-star shield. The plates have extensive gilt decoration and an overlapped “H J” monogram. The set sold for $4445 (est. $400/600).

This circa 1835 paddleboat-form open salt was manufactured by the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co. The opaque light blue example is impressed with “LAFAYET” on each paddlewheel, “* B & S * / GLASS / CO” on the stern, and “SANDWICH” within a scrolled device under the base. The boat measures 35/8" long and sold for $539.75 (est. $150/300).

One of the most recognized pieces of artwork is this 40½" x 30" World War I recruiting poster featuring Uncle Sam pointing his finger at the viewer, with the serious suggestion “I WANT YOU / FOR U.S. ARMY.” The artist was illustrator James Montgomery Flagg (1870-1969). The famous poster is a lithograph, created in 1917 and published by Leslie-Judge Co., New York. Space was left below the slogan for adding the address of the nearest recruiting station. Flagg’s iconic poster sold for $3810 (est. $1000/2000).

This 1942 World War II poster by noted painter and illustrator Newell Convers Wyeth (1882-1945) depicts a determined Uncle Sam figure within clouds, without his top hat and clutching an American flag. There are foot soldiers advancing below and a formation of bombers above. The message, “BUY WAR BONDS,” is clear. The 40¼" x 29¾" lithographed poster sold for $1397 (est. $400/700).

It is difficult to ignore a penguin. This 26" x 18½" lithographed poster was issued by the Solid Fuels Administration for War, the United States agency tasked with administering the government’s controls on solid fuel production, pricing, and distribution during World War II. The agency existed from 1943 to 1947. This poster printed in 1944 advises the public “Don’t SHIVER / next Winter / Order Coal NOW!” The artwork is by Egmont Arens (1889-1966), a noted industrial designer and commercial artist. This shivering penguin sold for $285.75 (est. $200/400).