Lot 2010: William Hudson, Jr. American, 1787-circa 1861 Portrait of a Gentleman, 1817

William Hudson, Jr.
American, 1787-circa 1861
Portrait of a Gentleman, 1817
Signed Hudson and dated 1817 (ll)
Watercolor on ivory
Sight 2 3/4 x 2 inches

Provenance:
Mrs. Pannill Rucker, Jr.

William Hudson worked in Virginia prior to relocating to Boston, where he maintained a studio from 1829-1856. Two other miniatures from his early career have been documented, one a likeness of a gentleman dating from 1818, included in the Manney Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The other, a portrait of Edward Cunningham by Hudson was depicted in Makers of Richmond, 1737-1860, [Valentine Museum, 1949, no. 40, p. 54.] Although the identity of the subject of this appealing portrait is not known, he may also have been a Virginia resident. The miniature comes from the collection of Mrs. Pennill Rucker, Jr.; the Rucker family homestead was in Martinsville, Virginia, about 150 miles southwest of Richmond. Hudson appears to have eventually abandoned miniature painting in favor of portraits in oil and landscapes.