Figure 1.--Here we have a painted portrait that we know nothing about. All we know is that we portrait was once owned by J.W. Stratton as indicated on the back. I am not sure what the boy is wearing, but he is wearing a white collar edged with little plears and a small red scarve.

Here we have a painted portrait that we know nothing about. All we know is that we portrait was once owned by J.W. Stratton as indicated on the back. This of course does not mean that the boy pictured was J.W. Stratton, but it may well be as is the only definitive information we have. You would think the portrait was most likely made for the Stratton family. A seller believes that the boy is Italian because of the smock-like white collar, but the boy does not look Italian to us. The seller rites, "As I listed the uniform the boy is wearing makes him italian or part of the italien school system of the time. The name on the back of board is the name of the individual that owned the painting and not the name of the artist that painted the subject. While we agree the name may not be related to the boy, it is also quite likely that there is a relationship. The collar does not look quite right for an Italian school smock. It looks more like a collsar to a tunic an English boy may have worn with a tunic in the mid-19th century. We would guess that it might be English, in part because of the name. The portrait was for sale in Toronto, Canada which agains suggests it is English. The portrait is undated, but we would guess the 1840s, although we are not at all sure. I am not sure what the boy is wearing, but he is wearing a white collar edged with little plears and a small red scarve.

Created: 3:25 AM 6/16/20042
Last edited: 3:26 AM 6/16/2004