Hand-Painted Folk Art

A wonderful American folk art pen and watercolor self portrait of John Taylor, Albany, NY, circa 1805-6. Taylor has drawn himself as a fashionable, industrious young man seated at hi...

Quincy Market by George Grace,, western New York Artist..Amazing use of space ,,color.. shadows,,, George Grace Drawing, Painting, Sculpture In June 2...

Artist VINC 4 CV Bibendum Acrylic on hood of 4CV from 1960 ( French car) Circa 2021 H 83 x W 100 X D 22 cms Signed by the artist Unique and original a...

Mesnager - Man in White 2021 Gouache on wood panel Signed and dated Measures: 70 x 42cm.      

Igneous is a design made from carbon powder and using Custhom’s innovative process of hand-foiling wallpapers, creates a unique distressed or highly polished finish in a wide range o...

Rita Alaoui is a French-Moroccan artist who lives and works in Paris. She is a graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York City. She seeks to explore and rethink our relationshi...

Marilyn Monroe with plaster, the plaster represents what she knows about people she has shared the bed with, so she had to keep quiet. The tulips around her symbolize her femininity....

Marilyn Monroe with plaster, the plaster represents what she knows about people she has shared the bed with, so she had to keep quiet. The tulips around her symbolize her femininity....

Original work by Lex Grote inspired by a model from the village of Nuenen, where famous artist Vincent van Gogh lived.

Snowman: following a story of Harry de Leijer who moved to America and came to a closed auction, saved a horse from slaughter by paying 80 dollars for it. This horse, named Snowman, ...

A spectacular and fine, dovetailed poplar, rosewood grain painted and ebonized document box. The gold stenciling is of a very fine quality. Retains the original fire gilded steel bai...

HAND-PAINTED 19TH CENTURY BANNER WITH AN 1867 VERSION OF THE SEAL OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, PROPOSED IN THAT YEAR BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, BUT IN A VARIATION NEVER FORMALLY ADOPTED Banner with the Illinois State Seal, in a rare variation of the design, never adopted. In 1867 Illinois Secretary of State Sharon Tyndale proposed that the phrases in the state motto be reversed. In the wake of the Civil War, (which ended in 1865,) Tyndale suggested that the verbiage be changed from "State Sovereignty--National Union" to "National Union--State Sovereignty,” which made sense given the recent secession of the Southern States, which placed their own interests first. Illinois' own Abraham Lincoln had worked hard to preserve national interests, echoed here in the altering of the language. Though Tyndale’s suggestion was rejected, he was nonetheless charged with creating a new design, which he did and was soon adopted. This displayed the dates of "1818," when Illinois became a state, and "1868," when the seal was officially changed. Interestingly enough, Tyndale did manage to send a message in the new version by turning the word “sovereignty” upside-down , with the surmised explanation that this fit accordingly with the orientation / position of the streamer. The banner is beautifully hand-painted on muslin and retains its original staff. The shape is beautifully scalloped at the bottom edge, which is painted to look as if there is an applied fringe. Most of the elements are congruent with the 1868 version, but there are various differences. Set within a shield-shaped medallion—usually circular—is the expected eagle in a side view, spread wing pose with beak uplifted. The eagle is supposed to be perched upon a rock with one talon, while gripping a Federal shield in the other. Here there is no rock and both talons grip the shield, which displays 13 stars. Note the date of "1867" and Tyndale's preferred order of the wording on the billowing ribbon in the eagle's beak. The foreground of the official design is all grass. Here there are olive branches—a peacetime reference appropriate for a country recovering from war—on a grassy area, set upon a sandy shore before Lake Michigan, with a rising sun on the horizon. Mounting: The banner was mounted and framed within our own conservation department, which is led by masters degree trained staff. We take great care in the mounting and presentation of flags and have preserved thousands of examples; more than anyone worldwide. The background is 100% cotton twill, black in color. The mount was placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. A shadowbox was created to accommodate the staff. The glazing is U.V. protective plexiglass. Feel free to contact us for more details. Banner - 49" x 56.5" Frame - 67.75" x 59.25" About Jeff R. Bridgman Antiques, Inc.: As an advisor to top museums and collectors alike, Jeff Bridgman is the world's leading expert and source for antique American flags and political textiles...