Sixth Plate

HE BECAME . . . More mature as I studied the lad after I opened the complete thermoplastic case that has brown wax in a couple places and a hairline crack across the top on the reverse. This very lovely little boy was seated sideways on that child-sized wooden chair. One hand was wrapped around the top and his other hand clenched the arm. The center of his portrait was soft due to a deficiency in the lens, and he moved his mouth while the silver was being exposed. Those brilliant light eyes were completely captivating. His maker bathed the kid as a skilled artist might have painted the lad, with fine attention to detailing his cherubic face. Before the sixth plate was archivally sealed, the silver was recleaned to remove a layer of tarnish and an accumulation of brown spots. The surface POPS! A wide band of patina is present inside his fancy scallop shaped mat. Most of the white specks across the bottom are nearly impossible to see. The next collector of children will enjoy meeting the subject.