Portrait of a California Gentleman by Vance

Portrait of a California Gentleman by Vance

Extraordinary half-plate ambrotype of what appears to be at least a partially blind older gentleman. This sharp image has many layers from the one offset eye along with the fact that he appears to have no bottom lip. Of course this is an illusion as he has his mouth tightly closed but we do wonder if he even has any teeth still left! His hair and beard are perfectly groomed so it seems that there was someone in the house that helped him prepare for most likely his final portrait. This mesmerizing ambrotype is in excellent condition with fantastic tones and contrast. What might appear to be issues in the black at the bottom are actually tiny polka-dots on the lapels of his jacket that are a shade lighter than his suit. We replaced the cover glass and it is housed in a decorative oval wood frame that has loss and wear as seen. We have attached an archival paper backing to provide additional support. We did leave the original bent nail in the back that was used for hanging at one time. You won’t find a better ambrotype than this one! $280