Description:

Jacob Bailey Moore
1815-1893
Portrait of a Young Boy and his Sister
Oil on Board
Manchester, NH, c. 1830s. Depicting, dark brown haired blue eyed girl about 12 year old in a green dress with black sprigs and a white lace collar and cuffs sit in a Windsor chair with a volute on its crest. A brown haired and blue eyed boy about 10 years old in a black jacket and a gray vest, a thin black tie, and a white striped shirt writes a letter and sits in a rod-black Windsor chair. They are in grain-painted frame.

J. Bailey Moore (1815-1893) was born in Candia, NH a few miles from Manchester. He had a twin sister who married Thomas White and she died in 1856 at the age of 41. When Jacob was 7, he went to live with the family of Joshua Lane, working on his farm and attending grammar school taught by Joshua Merrill. At 15 he walked to Lowell, MA, 30 miles away and lived and worked for John Avery. He stayed in there for 2 years and went to the Pembroke Academy for a term. At 17 he went to Boston where he lived for 2 years and then moved to Lynn, MA for 3 years. At age 22, he returned to Boston where he worked in a shoe store for 6 years and studied art. He also studied physical science, literature, and mental and moral philosophy. He attended lectures by eminent scholars from Europe and America, such the Famous naturalist, Agassiz; the great geologist from London, Lyle who was a friend of Darwin; and the chemist, Professor Benjamin Silliman of Yale. At this time he also made a careful study of various religious systems. He made acquaintance of the leading thinkers of the day including Emerson and A. Bronson Alcott. He attended many lectures by Webster. He began to paint about 1843 in oil and pastel when he was 28 and moved back to Manchester. He started giving lectures on the Philosophy of Nature. Two years later when he was 30, he became a reporter. In 1860 he heard Abraham Lincoln speak in Manchester and changed his political views. He then became an associate editor of the Daily American, a Republican paper. He also became a reporter for several Boston newspapers for about 6 years. Moore never married and died in 1893 at the age of 78.

Provenance: Northeast Auctions, Manchester, New Hampshire, Important Americana Auction, August 2011, lot 1201;
Elliott and Grace Snyder, South Egremont, Massachusetts

  • Dimensions: Sight: 13 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (34.3 x 24.1 cm.), Frame: 16 1/4 x 12 1/4 in. (41.3 x 31.1 cm.)
  • Medium: Oil on Board
  • Condition: Boy: Overall good condition. Scratches to painted frame. Some abrasion from frame to edge of image. Minor losses/chips to background, above head, to side of his right, cheek, near lower corners and along his right arm. No areas of inpainting when viewed under U.V. light but variations appear to be in application of varnish.

    Woman: Overall good condition. Minor chips/losses in her hair and scattered areas of dress. Some frame abrasion.

    Thank you for your interest in our upcoming sale. Please be aware that all property is sold ‘as is' and should be viewed in person or by a professional before the sale to fully assess the condition. This condition report has been prepared as a courtesy by Nye & Company specialists and should not be viewed as a substitute for physical examination by you and/or your professional advisor. Nye & Company specialists are not trained restorers/conservators, and the report is not as detailed as a comprehensive report that would be created by a professional advisor. We will do our best to make reliable observations on the work, which we hope will be helpful to you, we strongly recommend you enlist the help of a professional advisor to prepare a more complete report. While we try to photograph items as accurately as possible, please note that digital photography and images, especially when viewed through computer screens, may present colors that differ slightly from the colors of the object when viewed in person. We also wish to respectfully remind you that the Nye & Company warranties pertaining to the property are limited and set forth in our Conditions of Sale and do not extend to condition.
    PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF JANUARY 1ST 2023 THE NYE & COMPANY BUYER'S PREMIUM HAS BEEN RAISED FROM 23% TO 25%.

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