Relics of the American West: 1850-1920
Lot 2247:
Description
This evocative Civil War-era portrait captures a Union Artillery Corporal, identified by the provenance tag as B. Kalitski of New York. This piece is a classic “solar enlargement,” a period photographic process often enhanced by hand with charcoal, ink, and wash to provide the sharp contrast and life-sized presence seen here. The soldier is depicted in a standard four-button fatigue blouse with visible corporal chevrons and red-striped artillery trousers, resting his hands upon a Model 1840 light artillery saber. The image is housed in its original, highly stylized folk-art frame featuring molded gesso over a wooden base, designed to mimic rustic, bark-covered branches with knot details. The frame shows characteristic age-related wear, including minor gesso loss and cracking at the mitered corners exposing the wood beneath. The portrait itself exhibits moderate toning and a notable area of paper loss or scuffing in the lower right foreground. H 22″, W 16.75″, D 1″. Please see photos for condition.
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