Figure 1.-We notice an American artist in the mid-19th century named P.H. Keely. The portrait shows the boy seated on a log and holding his cap, mountains and lake in background. The boy is unidentified, but the portrait is signed LR "painted by P.H. Keeley 1856". Note the military-styled cap. This cap style was popular in the 1840s and 50s. Also note he wears a dark coat, but contrasting colored pants.

We notice an American artist in the mid-19th century named P.H. Keely. We know nothing about him at this time. He is a naive artist, but quite competent. His rendering of the clothing is quite detailed. We note one portrait of a boy in 1856. The portrait shows the boy seated on a log and holding his cap, mountains and lake in background. The boy is unidentified, but the portrait is signed LR 'painted by P.H. Keeley 1856'. Note the militart-styled cap. This cap style was popular in the 1840s and 50s. Also note he wears a dark coat, but contrasting colored pants. Photographs were beginning to appear in larger numbers by the 1850s, although the quality was still uneven. These portraits are hekpful as an adjunct to the photographs. In particular the paintings help to provide information on color.

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Created:2:35 AM 9/10/2004
Last updated: 2:36 AM 9/10/2004