Bidspirit auction | 1853 J. B. Pfyffer (American,

1853 J. B. Pfyffer (American, 19th Century), Portrait of a Lady, Oil on Canvas - An oil on canvas portrait of a woman by J. B. Pfyffer, dated 1853. The work depicts a seated subject in mid-19th-century attire, including a dark dress with a highly detailed white lace collar secured by a gold brooch, and a fur stole draped over her shoulders. The sitter is styled with prominent side buns typical of the era. The painting is rendered in an academic style with fine brushwork on the facial features and lace. The canvas is housed in a massive, ornate period gilt wood and gesso frame featuring deep-relief scrolling acanthus leaves and floral motifs. The reverse of the canvas is hand-inscribed J. B. Pfyffer / 1853 and bears a circular supplier stamp for Goupil and Co., Artists' Colourmen, 289 Broadway, New York. 35.75 x 40.5 inches. The canvas shows three distinct punctures: one in the center-left background, one near the sitter's right shoulder, and one in the fur stole at the bottom right. Widespread fine craquelure is present throughout the paint surface, along with visible surface grime and yellowed varnish. There is minor scuffing and paint loss along the inner edge of the oval sight. The frame exhibits extensive losses to the molded gesso ornamentation and gilding, particularly at the corners and edges, with visible cracks in the gesso and structural joints.