Portrait of a Man

Probably Lewis Charles Wallach (1871–1964), The Grange, Northington, Hampshire, by May 2, 1955 [1];

Purchased from his sale, Fine Portrait Miniatures, Sotheby and Co., London, May 2, 1955, lot 51, as A Miniature of a Young Girl . . . and Another of Her Brother, by Leggatt Brothers, London, probably on behalf of Mr. John W. (1905–2000) and Mrs. Martha Jane (1906–2011) Starr, Kansas City, MO, 1955–1958 [2];

Their gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1958.

Notes

[1] In the 1955 sales catalogue, “The Property of L. C. Wallach, Esq. The Grange, Northington, Hants,” is listed for lots 46-94.

[2] This sales catalogue is located at The University of Missouri–Kansas City’s Miller Nichols Library and is likely annotated by Mr. or Mrs. Starr with a slash next to the lot, a circled lot number, and “£28.” According to an attached price list, Leggatt purchased lot 51 for £28.

Described in the catalogue as “A miniature of a young girl by Peter Paillou, signed and dated 1811, full face, fair short hair, in Empire white dress; and another of her brother in white vest and dark grey coat, 2 7/8 in., signed and dated 1808, fitted cases.”

See related lot 52: “A miniature of a young man by Peter Paillou, signed and dated 1817, nearly full face, fresh complexion, dark hair, perhaps a member of the same family as in the preceding lot, 2 7/5 in.; and another of a Young Girl in low-cut white dress of Empire style, 2 1/2 in. These works by Paillou would certainly appear to be during his residence in Glasgow.”

Archival research has shown that Leggatt Brothers served as purchasing agents for the Starrs.