Quarter Plate

“JENNY BREWSTER” . . . Was printed in pencil along the side of the second paper seal that contained the pair of women on their now newly taped quarter size silvery palette. Written in the bottom of their leather case with a detached cover was: “1 copy of each bust for 8×10 frame with white back”. Those instructions seem straightforward enough. I wonder if Jenny wore that incredible dress with the intricate designs? A beautiful diamond brooch colored with gold was worn at her throat. Jenny?s companion, who also could have been Jenny, displayed good fashion taste. Her smaller more delicate brooch that was attached to a wide lace collar received gold leaf too. Both seated ladies selected their serious faces during the exposure. Each one looked directly at their maker. Only that spit of curled forehead hair added pizzazz to this portrait. Great clarity and deep depth are both positive attributes to be appreciated. I am almost certain that the surface had been previously cleaned and the white hazy lines on the silver occurred when the piece was improperly dried. There is a brown dot between the friends and they are held in a leather case that has a missing spine.