Bidspirit auction | St. Bernard Portrait Oil on

St. Bernard Portrait Oil on Academy Board Late 19th Century - A late 19th or early 20th-century oil painting on academy board depicting the profile of a St. Bernard dog. The animal is rendered in a realistic style against a dark, monochromatic background, with detailed attention to the varied textures of the fur, from the short coat of the muzzle to the longer, wavy hair of the neck. The work is housed in a prominent, ornate period gilded gesso and wood frame featuring deep cove molding and decorative bands of scrolled and stippled patterns. The reverse of the painting features a printed paper label identifying the support as Academy Board supplied by Favor, Ruhl & Co., New York, a manufacturer and importer of artists' materials. No signature is visible on the front of the board. 32 x 27 inches (outer frame). The painting exhibits significant structural damage, including a large T-shaped break and puncture in the center-right of the academy board, which has caused physical displacement and small areas of paint loss along the edges of the fracture. A small indentation is present in the lower-left background area. The entire paint surface shows fine, widespread craquelure. The gilded frame has minor typical wear, including small cracks and losses to the gesso surface. The brown paper dust cover on the reverse is torn and partially missing. General surface dirt is present on both the artwork and the frame.