1002

Purwill Original portrait of Stephen F. Austin. J. Purwill, Original portrait of Stephen F. Austin,

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:100,000.00 USD Estimated At:80,000.00 - 120,000.00 USD
Purwill Original portrait of Stephen F. Austin. J. Purwill, Original portrait of Stephen F. Austin,
<B>J. Purwill, Original portrait of Stephen F. Austin,</B></I> oil on canvas, 25" x 31", c. 1823. This recently unearthed portrait of a young Stephen F. Austin appears on the cover of Dr. Greg Cantrell's seminal biography, <I>Stephen F. Austin, Empresario of Texas</B></I> (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999). Learning that Cantrell was working on the Austin biography, the seller of this portrait called Cantrell in 1997. Cantrell says that the owner had acquired it from a bank in Corsicana, which the seller described as an old local bank there, built in the 1920s. "It was the tallest building between Houston and Dallas. It was magnificent," Cantrell says. When the bank founders built their financial colossus, they shopped for furniture and appointments in St. Louis, Mo., which is when they purchased the portrait, a detail that Cantrell says is completely consistent with where a portrait of Austin would have surfaced. Cantrell says that his attribution is based on investigative work where a number of story elements about the painting's acquisition and details about the portrait align. "It's like matching partial fingerprints," Cantrell says. "I remain convinced that it's Stephen F. Austin. There are too many specific facial characteristics of him that were unique to Stephen F. Austin - from his hazel eyes to the shape of his nose. The list goes on and on." It's one of the handsomest paintings of him that would've existed," says Cantrell. "It would show him as a young adult. Most of the other images we have of him are from later in his life." The owner of this portrait, J. P. Bryan, a descendant of the Austin family, concurs with Cantrell. "There's no question in my mind that this is a young Stephen F. Austin, and it's the earliest depiction of Austin that we have." <I>Courtesy of J.P. Bryan, Houston.</B></I> Consigned Lot. <BR><BR><b>This 2006 March Texas State Historical Association Charity Auction is being held in Austin, TX on February 12 - March 4, 2006. This is a charity auction. All proceeds from donated lots in the auction, commissions from consigned lots, and the buyer's premium go solely to the Texas State Historical Association. The floor auction session is by invitation only. Online bidding ends March 3, 2006 at 10:00PM CT. Your secret maximum bid will compete for you during the floor auction, and it is possible that you may be outbid on the floor after internet bidding closes. The applicable buyer's premium for this auction is an amount equal to 15% (minimum $9 per lot) of the successful bid on ebay. State law requires lots consigned (not donated) to THSA collect full sales tax on items that sell for a total of $5,000 or more. </b>
<BR><b>Important Information Notice</b> Texas State Historical Association 'TSHA' presents this Charity Auction in cooperation with Heritage Auctions, Inc. that has provided its production facilities, personnel, and internet, fax, and phone bidding services to support the auction. The auction is conducted under Heritage's standard auction terms and conditions printed in this catalog; however, TSHA is included within the definition of 'Auctioneer,' and the buyer's premium is 15% on ebay, and all items are sold 'AS IS' and without return. This catalog is available for view and bidding on the Heritage website. Heritage disclaims any liability for any act or omission pertaining to its provided services. Successful bidders shall pay Sales Tax on consigned lots of $5000 or more. Consigned lots may be designated in the catalog.