James Nixon, Portrait of Two Sisters, ca. 1795, watercolor on ivory, 12k rose gold, embossed metallic foil, seed pearls, hair, and glass, overall: 3 1/4 x 2 3/4 in. (8.3 x 7 cm), The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 2005.1611

James Nixon, Portrait of Two Sisters, ca. 1790

Artist James Nixon (English, ca. 1741–1812)
Title Portrait of Two Sisters
Object Date ca. 1795
Former Title Two Children
Medium Watercolor on ivory
Setting 12k rose gold, embossed metallic foil, seed pearls, hair, and glass
Dimensions overall: 3 1/4 x 2 3/4 in. (8.3 x 7 cm)
Inscription Inscribed with monogram on case verso: “JSW” and “SW”
Credit Line The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Rienzi Collection, bequest of Caroline A. Ross, 2005.1611

doi: 10.37764/8322.5.4760

Artist's Biography

See the artist’s biography in volume 4.

Provenance

Mr. John W. (1905–2000) and Mrs. Martha Jane (1906–2011) Starr, Kansas City, MO, by 1982;

Sold at their sale, Silhouettes and Fine Portrait Miniatures, Sotheby’s, London, March 15, 1982, lot 94, as Two Children [1];

With D. S. Lavender Limited, London [2];

Purchased by Caroline A. Ross, June 30, 1997;

Bequeathed to Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 2005.

Notes

[1] “Two children, the elder child decorating the younger one’s hat with flowers, both with fair hair and similarly attired in white frocks with blue sashes, woodland and sky background, within a gold frame, the reverse with arrangement of hair, seed pearls and gold thread surrounding the monograms JSW and SW in gold on a blue glass ground, oval 2 7/8 in.; 7.4 cm.” The annotated catalogue lists “700” or “200” below the lot description.

[2] Provenance is according to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s website, https://emuseum.mfah.org/objects/78833/portrait-of-two-sisters.

References

Silhouettes and Fine Portrait Miniatures (London: Sotheby’s, March 15, 1982), 25, as Two Children.

No known related works or exhibitions at this time. If you have additional information on this object, please tell us more.

James Nixon, Portrait of Two Sisters, ca. 1795, watercolor on ivory, 12k rose gold, embossed metallic foil, seed pearls, hair, and glass, overall: 3 1/4 x 2 3/4 in. (8.3 x 7 cm), The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 2005.1611