Sixth Plate

THERE IS ALWAYS A RISK! No matter how careful I am in an examination of an excellent sixth plate portrait before the archival seal is done, when the glass is absolutely filthy and moisture laden, sometimes it is impossible to anticipate the final appearance. Casey left the marvelous man on my desk recently. I am quite pleased with the results. The fellow’s hands and perfectly trimmed nails suggest that he was truly a gentleman and not an artisan. His expensive double-breasted overcoat had a thick nap, velvet collars and fine buttons. His neatly knotted tie was fashionably stuffed in his snowy white shirt. The flow of his pose was rather remarkable. His heavily freckled complexion and thick tightly clamped lips were not out of the ordinary. Those vivid eyes caught reflections dancing from several directions with the major portion of illumination entering the space from upper left. I can’t help but wonder how he received that nasty jagged scar running from the center of his chin on an upward diagonal? Not only were the textures wonderful, the reflected depth was superlative. Patina inside the oval brass mat and a collection of mold spiders are visible. Heavy buff strokes disappear when the subject is properly appreciated. His leather case, circa 1845, has a bright red silk pad and the cover is separated.