Bierstadt, Eliza (1833-1896)
One Mixed Media Miniature Painting; and Original Botanical Collage.
Including a "Bierstadt Butterfly," created by painting one half and then folding the sheet, this one rendered in green tones with some reddish orange dappling, the head, legs, and antennae added by hand, mounted in an oval gilt mat and inscribed by the artist at the bottom, "N. Conway Aug. 1866; Miss E. Bierstadt," mounted on an album page, the matted piece 5 x 4 in.;
[And] a collage made of dried botanical specimens including the spathe of two jack in the pulpit flowers, mounted on an oval sheet on a slightly larger oval of pink paper, and set on the verso of the same album page with the butterfly, inscribed at the top, "Haverhill, N.H., June 10, 1867," in Bierstadt's hand; the specimen dry and delicate; the oval mount measuring 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 in., the album page 9 1/2 x 7 3/4 in.
Bierstadt, whose surname brings to mind her more famous painter brothers, was the first female American art dealer. Beginning with the sale of family work at the Ellis Gallery in New Bedford, Massachusetts, she was able to expand her stock to include the work of Charles Henry Gifford, artists of the Hudson River Valley school, and others. Her brother Albert also created the Rorschach-style butterflies. Both of the pieces in this lot were created during summer sojourns to New Hampshire.
