Click the photographs to enlarge which are part of the visual description.  Colours may differ due to any flash used.  

  This item is FREE standard postage to UK buyers....overseas buyers...you will only pay the tracked shipping ONCE if you WAIT for my combined invoice if its a similar weight and destination.
 
 

Here is an OUTSTANDING antique portrait miniature of the well known and famous Dr Johnson - Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784) which shows him half length wearing a red jacket intently reading a book.

This portrait is painted After Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792) by another well known and famous painter William Essex (1784 - 1869).

So this is a really really fantastic painting with great attention to detail... I am sure most of you reading this will KNOW all there is to know about the people related to the painting.

If you are a collector of Portrait Miniatures and you could only own one .. this would be high on the list.. it has everything going for it.

I will describe the frame now... a stained black lacquered wood... which does have some knocks and rubs upon it... flat glass... the inner outer frame edge is gilt metal I would say ... with the fine tiny dots all the way around.

Looking further into it.. you will see it has a red velvet like material backing and the actual potrait miniature is in another frame on top of this... I have had similar portraits in the past that are double framed...they are very posh and pleasing to the eye.

So Dr johnson ... the frame he is in ... is a gilt metal.. it has a fretted design very intricate and delicate when looking really close.....with Leaf like corners and a spade shape and another longer leaf like pattern all the way around...with the fine dots once again to match the outer larger dots within the frame.

The portrait is on a domed ...curved shape...... I would say the centre is only within 5mm of the main flat glass front....and because it has been painted with a dark oval background and the deep reds etc.. it really does look well within the frame... I would also say this frame is period to when the portrait was painted.. it is fabulous in itself the frame alone.

So now to the actual painting... as said allready .. it has an oval painted frame around the portrait. ...being a dark brown sort of colour...and a lighter brown behind Dr Johnson..... he is sat looking at a book.. wearing a red jacket.. and you can see the white cuffs and collar .... it is signed in gold ..bottom right hand corner... Painted By W. ESSEX . 1859.

Turning the frame over now......you will see it has a really top quality gilt easel hinge out stand.. as well as the large loop also gilt .. for attachment on a wall... so either on a desk or on the wall...it has a mauve leather backing.. and an old brown lable top left.. I cannot see if this has ever said anything ....a small metal turn around at the bottom and an inset into the back of the frame. ...gently pull the silk thumb pull... hinge it up to see the curved interior of the back.. this has also got some mauve stiff paper like backing .. then you will see the typical turquoise - teal duck egg colour of the back.. this is ENAMEL ..this portrait has been painted on enamel.....so there is another good pointer to the quality of it.

It has wording in black paint upon this enamel...says...

Enamel Portrait of Dr Johnson reading The Vicar of Wakefield from the Original picture by S.r Joshua Reynolds PRa .. painted for Mr Malone in the possession of the Rev. T Rooper.

Painted by W. Essex.

Enamel painter to Her Majesty & H.R.H. Prince Consort 1859.

Now then you can also google the Reverand Thomas R Rooper and find quite abit about him.. he is well connected to Edmond Malone as well as plenty of pages with his own name on too.

This painting is often called "Blinking Sam"  as well....just google that.

William Essex is really well known for his miniature portraits of animals on gold stick pins etc....and you will be able to google MANY of his works...you may also find this particular item too when it sold recently in a live auction....... I bought it from a well known antiques dealer.

The frame is 19cm wide x 21.5cm long x 3.5cm deep.....the inner fancy gilt frame is approx....13cm x 15cm....the whole frame weighs approx.....1 kilo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Essex_%28painter%29

or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Reynolds

or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Johnson

OR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmond_Malone

or

https://archive.org/stream/lifeofedmondmalo00priouoft/lifeofedmondmalo00priouoft_djvu.txt

or

http://huntingtonblogs.org/2012/11/the-life-of-skip-brack/

I like to leave items in the condition I find them in ....I do not mess about with the glass, paintwork on the frames etc.. it is just as I got it. 

Please see close up pictures for more detail. 

   The item(s) are shown next to an English 1 penny which is 20mm dia for scale.

Conversion ... approx... 2.5cm = 25mm = 1 inch 

If you have any questions, please contact me via ebay messages...go to OTHER question.

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