Continental School, 19th century oil on canvas portrait of a little girl with a basket of flowers on her left arm, holding a floral sprig in her right hand, wearing a blue dress and ringlets, with column and cloudy sky in background. Unsigned. Sight: 24" H x 19" W. Frame: 29 1/2" H x 24 1/2" W. Housed in a period but not original birdseye maple frame with gilt rabbet edge. Circa 1845. Provenance: private Middle Tennessee collection, acquired through Bob Welch of Colorado from the estate of Mrs. May Bonfils Stanton (daughter of Frederick Gilmer Bonfils, founder of the Denver Post newspaper). Mrs. Stanton was known for her Denver mansion, Belmar, a replica of Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon Chateau at Versailles, which she is said to have filled with art and antiques acquired during her travels in Europe.

CONDITION: 1" repaired tear center upper sky area; scattered small (under 1") repairs, including 2 upper left quadrant on column and 1 right sky area; craquelure throughout; narrow indention line with minor losses across near entirety of lower edge (likely from abrasion from previous frame); 4 areas of impact crackle in subject's face and chest area; some gap between edges of painting and frame. Painting has not been relined. Some wear and veneer loss to lower left corner of frame.