A portrait by John Singleton Copley of Alice Hooper. (click to enlarge)
THIS portrait by John Singleton Copley promises to be one of the highlights of the Winter Antiques Show in New York. In 2011 the show celebrates its 57th year as America’s most prestigious antiques show, providing museums, established collectors, dealers, design professionals and first time buyers with opportunities to see and purchase exceptional pieces showcased by 74 exhibitors.
Copley, whose parents were Irish, is famous for his portraits in colonial New England. He is considered the most influential painter in colonial America and made this portrait of Alice Hooper in 1763 when he was just 25. Later on, in Britain, he continued to paint portraits, developed contemporary history painting and was one of the pioneers of the private exhibition. His father, Richard, came from Limerick, his mother Mary was a Singleton from Co. Clare. Boston’s Copley Square and Copley Plaza bear his name. This portrait will be shown by Hirschl & Adler Galleries.
Shiva Adhikaranandi. (click to enlarge)
A copper alloy figure of Shiva Adhikaranandi from Tamil Nadu in India is another highlight. It is from new exhibitors Carlton Rochell Asian Art, which was established in New York in 2002. With Brahma and Vishnu, Shiva, the destroyer, is one of the three most important deities of the Hindu pantheon. Typical images depict Shiva with a bovine head. Those in which he has a human head are rarer. This one was made during the Chola dynasty, a period considered to be the zenith of bronze sculpture production in India. The Winter Antiques Show runs from January 21-30 at the Park Avenue Armory at 67th in Manhattan.
See post on antiquesandartireland.com for December 21
