Description:
Silhouettes were the most expedient and inexpensive form of portraiture available to New Englanders in the early 19th century. Profiles were so cheap, costing about ten cents apiece, that an artist's profit was dependent on making them as quickly as possible. Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Samuel Pierce probably apprenticed in the shop of local pewterer Joseph Danforth. After completing his training, Pierce moved his family to Greenfield, Massachusetts, in 1792 or early 1793, to pursue his trade as a whitesmith at the head of navigation on the Connecticut River. Although his pewter is uncommon today, Pierce produced a wide range of forms (basins, teapots, plates, dishes, porringers, rosettes for fan lights, and baptismal bowls) over the course of his career. In addition to examples of Pierce’s pewter, Historic Deerfield also owns his account books, tools, molds, and touchmark. Framed, circular silhouette of a woman with hair comb, prominent nose, receeding chin, details of her hair are penciled in, pewter frame attributed to Samuel Pierce (1767-1840) of Greenfield, Massachusetts. Condition: frame is loose and coming apart, #21, these frames were spun from sheet metal. Other slihouettes attributed to Salisbury and in Pierce pewter frames include HD 2016.38.1,.3 and HD1312/A
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2016.38.2 |
