Antique 19C Oil Painting Portrait George Samuel Liggett Tobacco Family St Louis For Sale

Antique 19thC Oil Painting Portrait George Samuel Liggett Tobacco Family St Louis MO
Item SpecificsFieldValueConditionUsed / Antique (Pre-owned, original canvas with age-appropriate craquelure)TypePaintingProduction TechniqueOil PaintingMaterialCanvas (Original stretchers with historical merchant stamp)SubjectGeorge Samuel Liggett (Boy, Portrait, Children)StyleAmericana, Folk Art, 19th Century Traditional PortraitureSizeMediumFeaturesFramed, One-of-a-Kind (OOAK), Stamped Provenance, Historic LineageFramingFramed (Ornate Oval Gold Gilt Frame)Frame Size20.5" x 23"Sight Size13.75" x 16.5"Year of ProductionCirca 1857–1859Region of OriginSt. Louis, Missouri, USAHandmadeYes📝 Detailed Item DescriptionTitle:Important Mid-19th Century American Folk Art Portrait of George Samuel Liggett (Born 1853) – Nephew of theLiggett & Myers Tobacco CompanyFounder🎨 PROVENANCE, GENEALOGY & HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
This exceptional antique oil-on-canvas portrait is a museum-worthy piece of Pre-Civil War Missouri history. The reverse bears a prominent, crisp historical stencil:"FROM J. SPORE,101 FOURTH ST., ST. LOUIS, MO.". Historical archives identify James Spore as the owner of the celebratedArtists' Emporiumat101 Fourth Street, active during the 1850s, catering strictly to the high-society elite and fine artists of the Mississippi River Valley.Through direct lineage and seller records, the young boy depicted has been identified asGeorge Samuel Liggett (1853–1913), captured herearound 4 to 6years of age. George Samuel was the son of William Carr Lane Liggett and the nephew ofJohn Edmund Liggett, the legendary multi-millionaire tobacco magnate who co-founded the world-famousLiggett & Myers Tobacco Companyin St. Louis. As one of Missouri's most powerful Gilded Age families, this portrait represents an extraordinary crossover between classic American folk portraiture and prominent corporate history.🖼️ ARTWORK & FRAME DESCRIPTION:

• The Painting:A beautifully executed oil portrait displaying a soulful young boy with fine, light hair, clad in a rich red tunic with a detailed white ruffled collar. The painter demonstrates a classic mid-19th-century regional style—blending soft, detailed facial shading with a flatter, stylized execution of the garments typical of the finest traveling portraitists of the era.
• The Frame:Housed in its heavy, magnificent period-correct oval wood and gesso frame. The frame features deep, ornate floral and leaf configurations layered with an authentic gold gilt finish.
• Condition Report:Outstanding antique condition showcasing an untouched historic patina. The canvas keeps excellent original tension. The surface features light, stable age-appropriate craquelure that guarantees its true 170-year authenticity. The original gilt frame exhibits minor, minor spots of gesso loss/frictional wear consistent with century-plus handling.

📐 MEASUREMENTS:

• Total Frame Size:20.5" x 23"
• Visible Painting Size (Sight):13.75" x 16.5"

💎 Rarity & Market Value Factors

• Corporate Tobacco Lineage:Pieces directly connected to the foundational families of the industrial tobacco empires (likeLiggett Group / Liggett & Myers) are incredibly scarce on the open market and often held tightly by museums or private family trusts.
• The J. Spore Stencil:Canvases carrying the highly sought-afterJames Spore St St. Louisstencil are instantly cataloged by fine art estimators to verify authenticity. They heavily increase the desirability among collectors of Western Expansion and Missouri Americana.

🎨 Artist Attribution & ContextWhile unsigned on the face, the premium materials from James Spore’s storefront anchor this piece directly to professional portrait artists residing in or visiting St. Louis between1855 and 1859. During this decade, St. Louis was a booming port city where affluent mercantile families regularly commissioned fine art to solidify their social standing. The composition’s charm perfectly mirrors traditional mid-century American Folk Art portraiture.Keep in mind the shipping price also covers handling fees, packaging materials & time, not just postage.
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