Lot 273: Samuel M. Shaver

(Tennessee, 1816-1878), Mary Jones Nelson, with Her Daughter, Elizabeth, circa 1858, unsigned, oil on canvas, 77-1/4 x 45-1/8 in.; 20th century painted wood frame, restretched, lined, retouch scattered throughout including her cheek, drapery and dress, crackle, cupping, minor flaking, abrasions, overcleaning; frame with abrasions Provenance: Private Collection, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee Reserve: $5,000 Mary Jones (1826-1901) was the second wife of Thomas Amis Rogers (T.A.R.) Nelson (1812-1873). A prominent individual in Eastern Tennessee, T.A.R. Nelson was an attorney, congressman, Supreme Court Judge, anti-secessionist, and Andrew Johnson's choice for his defense team during Johnson's impeachment trial. The painting reflects the mature style of Shaver with the use of draperies, architectural elements and a landscape. Executed in 1858, this portrait and a companion portrait of T.A.R. Nelson have been held by descendants of the sitters. A portrait of Nelson's first wife, Anne Elizabeth, and her six children is held by the Tennessee State Museum. See Budd H. Bishop, "Three Tennessee Painters: Samuel M. Shaver, Washington B. Cooper, and James Cameron", [The Magazine Antiques,] (September, 1971), pp. 432, for an illustration of the portrait "Thomas Amis Rogers Nelson", and for mention of a companion portrait of Mrs. Nelson and baby Elizabeth (born 1858).