Portrait of Henry A. Morehouse (b. ca. 1816)

Date1839

Attributed to Da Lee Family (active ca. 1835-1847)

MediumWatercolor, pencil, and ink on wove paper

DimensionsPrimary support: 3 1/4 x 2 7/8in. (8.3 x 7.3cm) and Framed: 5 x 4 1/2in.

Credit LineGift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller

Object number1931.300.5

DescriptionA bust-length profile portrait of a man facing left; oval format with solid black framing sprandrels. Man wears coat painted in gloss and matte black, white shirt, white vest with small brown dots, silver and onyx(?) stick pin, black and white plaid collar and kerchief. The features of the face are drawn very delicately, predominately with pencil with red lips, black eyes, and a wash of pink on the ear. He has curling brown hair. A light blue-green wash is used as a background within the oval.

The 1-inch gilded frame with applied bead molding is a period replacement.
Label TextFormerly, this crisp little profile was ascribed to Justus Da Lee (1793-1878) alone. Reattribution to the Da Lee family has come with the discovery that much of Justus's career involved working collaboratively with his brother, Richard W. M. Da Lee (1809-1868), and with his son, Amon G. J. Da Lee (1820-1879). Richard and Amon also worked independently of Justus but in such similar styles that usually it is impossible to distinguish the work of the three men unless the work is signed.

Justus Da Lee aptly billed himself as a "side portrait painter," meaning a profilist. He, Richard, and Amon all preferred this pose. The use of black spandrels is also typical of the three. Some Da Lee portraits bear subjects' names on the front; many more bear them faintly penciled on the reverse. (Henry Morehouse's appears in both places). Justus, if not all three Da Lees, is known to have retained miniatures following sittings so that he could work on them later, alone at home, delivering the miniatures to clients several days later. The inscribed names would have helped keep them straight.

InscribedHand-lettered in ink in the margin beneath the portrait is "Henry A. Morehouse, taken 1839. Age 23." The same inscription appears very faintly on the verso in pencil, apparently in the artist's script.
MarkingsNo watermark found.
ProvenanceEdith Gregor Halpert,Downtown Gallery, New York, NY; Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., by whom given to CWF 1939.