Two original color oval chromolithographic portraits of Gilbert Stuart’s portraits of George and Martha Washington by E. C. Middleton and Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. Each portrait measures approximately 14 x 17, and is affixed to its original wooden oval backing, with registration information printed on the reverse of both images. In very good condition, with George’s portrait partially separated from wood backing, scattered dings, small areas of surface loss and a small separation to George’s portrait, light discoloration to edges of both from previous display, and chips to the edges of canvas, which has separated from a few of the tacks.
While many attempted to reproduce Gilbert Stuart’s famous Washington portraits, it wasn’t until 1863 that Elijah C. Middleton finally achieved a successful and highly appealing result. Developing a process that printed in colored oils on a section of canvas-backed paper (versus the standard method of lithographic ink on paper), Middleton created a softer and more authentic image. Registering his process in accordance with the copyright laws of the era (the information that is printed on the reverse), he began promoting his work with testimony from well-known Massachusetts politician and orator Edward Everett, and quickly became an early icon in the world of chromolithography. RR Auction COA.
