Sixth Plate

A PATRON OF THE ARTS? No not the mature sitter. I am referring to the daguerreian. Immediately after I noticed the exquisite brightness bathing her face, done in a style that Rembrandt favored, I wondered if he had visited galleries and saw classic reproductions of other great painters’ works too? I penned (electronically) the initial part of my description before I removed the woman’s scalloped mat to use new glass and Filmoplast P-90 to archivally preserve her. I casually looked at the surface then stopped. Why you might ask? Where are the subject’s HANDS, I would reply! Notice how her forearms naturally fill out the fabric, but then abruptly end leaving loose cloth in her lap. Not in a million years when the mat was in place, would I have ever guessed that she suffered such a handicap. I think she was courageous just to visit a daguerreotypist, whose brass design nearly hid the deformity. That vertical slash of white on the right was a reflector that balanced out the illumination. Mold spiders in places and one teeny green speck upper right corner surround her. Gold was applied to her brooch. A rather remarkable sixth sized daguerreotype don’t you all agree? Her leather case is apart. If you would rather have a wider opening mat, Casey would do that included in the price of purchase.