Two itinerant artist paintings in our Sunday, September 23 on-site auction in Lambertville, NJ are wonderful examples of itinerant local artists’ talent. The portraits are still in their original 18th or 19th century frames and have never been removed, so there may actually be a hidden signature that no one has seen. The prestigious man is none other than Richard Holcombe himself – son of one of Lambertville’s first residents – and the young girl is also a member of the Holcombe family. In fact, the doll being held by the little girl is still in the family today.

Just because an antique painting isn’t signed doesn’t mean it has no value. In fact, some unsigned paintings are worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. While we may never know the names of the talented folk artists behind many of these works of art, a good number have been attributed to artists who became well known later in their careers.

Itinerant portrait artists of the 18th and 19th century in America were called limner artists, and most were self-taught by studying the works of professional portrait artists and then using their natural talent to copy the styles of those paintings.

These traveling artists were plentiful in the Northeast, and they aimed for rural families who couldn’t afford to hire the professional portrait artists used by those in wealthier society but still wanted representations of family members adorning their walls.

Traveling on horseback, roving artists carted their canvases and supplies from place to place; some even had generic backgrounds and bodies with formal clothing pre-painted so they would only have to add the head and face. The idea was to get the piece done as quickly as possible, accept a commission from the sitter, and move on to find more work.

In our September 23, 2018 auction, art lovers, collectors and historians will have the opportunity to bid on and own these two paintings that reflect the local history of both early Lambertville and its limner artists. You can see pictures and a listing of some of what we’ll be selling on September 22 (outbuildings) and September 23 (house items) on my AuctionZip page (Auctioneer ID# 1070). You can also follow me on Facebook and on Instagram (@AlfredsAuctions).