Rare Prized Hog Silhouette

Circa 1825-1850: Silhouettes of animals are extremely scarce, and this superb folk art silhouette of a prized hog surfaced at a Bardstown, Kentucky, estate sale and was later purchased at the long defunct Heart of Country Antiques Show in Nashville, Tennesseee. This rare silhouette measures 10.5" x 8.5 including its original frame. If you look closely, you'll see that the silhoette artist has portrayed the subject with eyelashes, giving its face a nearly human appearance. This kind of personification is common to naive folk art animal paintings, and it's interesting to note how that tradition is followed here. The freehand cut silhouette is in its orginal frame with its original eglomized glass, and the paper has typical foxing and minor creasing. The frame is put together with tiny square brads and retains its orginal worn brown paint. We have not examined this piece outside of its frame because the original backing was long ago sealed to the frame. In all our years in the business, this is the only prized hog silhouette we have seen, and we cannot find any other examples that have come to market. This silhouette, with its rarity, charm, and primitive beauty, is a top shelf example of 19th century rural American folk art.