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Collect: American Art
|
- Sale 2826
Live
| Philadelphia
Dec 5 | 11:00 AM EST
Live
| Philadelphia
Sale 2826
| Philadelphia
| Philadelphia
Estimate$3,000 – $5,000
This rich and well-balanced still-life that Eliza Bisbee Duffey painted and likely exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts fits within the long-established tradition of still life-painting in Philadelphia. Following the footsteps of elders such as Raphaelle Peale or John F. Francis, Duffey presents a tabletop still-life filled with several fruit, dispersed books and a large flower bouquet, which a graceful monarch butterfly forages. Such an exotic presence aimed at showing America's varied fauna and flora, and attract the eye of potential collectors.
When she was not painting, Duffey was a gifted essayist, and is credited for being amongst the first feminists that America counted. A strong advocate for equality between men and women specifically, she published several books about women's education, sexual health, and called for a new repartition of gender roles. The present work will be accompanied by a first edition copy of Relations of the Sexes, an essay Duffey published in 1876, and in which she tackled the biological history of the female sex. In this strong-worded manual, Duffey also famously raised the now contemporary issue of female consent, and made waves by considering forced marital sex the equivalent of rape.
Private Collection, California.
The relined canvas in overall fair to good condition. Examination under UV light reveals a thick layer of old greenish varnish throughout. The upper part of the composition is completely intact, and in fact shows traces of selective cleaning. Minor inpainting along the bottom outer edge of the canvas. Two repairs seen at center right, on the bottom book's binding (including title) and on the upper book's pages and background, towards center/upper right. Feathery retouching around the base, and on it close to the transition with the book. Very localized and relatively minor retouching (dot-like) in the bottom left quadrant. See Specialist's pictures for more details.
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