The Eyes of the Prior-Hamblins: Part 2 (The Sixth Hand)
One of the most vexing questions of the Prior-Hamblin School is how to tell five artistic hands apart. Now we have six.
Recent research has revealed there's a particular version of the “flat style” face that doesn’t conform to any of the five known and documented Prior-Hamblins. After compiling and comparing many dozens of paintings, it has become obvious: we have a new artist on the horizon.
Many thanks to Dr. Paul D'Ambrosio of Fenimore Museum for proposing that there is another unknown painter! I had gathered together a compilation, but was uncertain what to make of it. I consider this an incredibly exciting development. Like the rest, this artist paints highly distinctive eyes, which can serve as an attribution guide. Read on for the Eyes of the Sixth Prior-Hamblin.
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THE SIXTH HAND
Attribution collection: https://www.pinterest.com/paintingsworthlookingat/prior-hamblin-overlap/the-sixth-hand/
I’d originally labeled the compilation folder as “Blake-Hamblin-Hartwell” due to the confusing mixture of influences. For now, for lack of a limner moniker, this person will be referred to as the “sixth hand.” (I am very open to alternative naming suggestions.)
But who is it? Paul has suggested it might be one of the other Hartwell brothers. Another strong possibility is a Hamblin sibling, from the "painting Hamblens" (as Nina Fletcher Little called them). Right now, however, we have no concrete material evidence to build upon, only connoisseurship. Hopefully, there’s more to come.
These particular portraits serve as definitive examples of the sixth-hand style, particularly the techniques of the eyes and mouth. Features are painted broadly and widely, scaled unusually large on the face. Lines are strong and bold. Expressions are typically confident, almost defiant, yet intrinsically pleasant.
The following two portraits represent a more refined, complex version of the style. The artist has developed a more expressive range and technique. A mixture of PHS traits shine through. The girl displays the signature G.G. Hartwell curved shoulder. The bird in the bare-branched tree is a S.J. Hamblin motif, indicating his involvement, though not his authorship of the portraits. As suggested by Paul, the compositionally gifted Hamblin may even have painted the landscape backdrop himself, filling in another painter’s incomplete draft.
(Notably, just before I posted this, an identification turned up for the gentleman. He is Capt. Peter Brown, now at the Marblehead Museum, Massachusetts. A clue? We'll see.)
In regards to this artist's eyes, a few distinctive tendencies can and should be observed. Look for the broad, large, flattened eye shape - heavily outlined at the top, but not the bottom. Unusually, the white highlight is placed on the far side of the eyeball, the opposite direction of wherever the sitter is looking.
This example demonstrates a slightly more sophisticated technique, but remains highly recognizable in its strong line definition:
https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24071/lot/135/prior-hamblin-school-first-half-19th-century/
Here, the unknown artist is loosely imitating W.M. Prior. There's an attempt at multiple highlights, dabbing on bits of white. The lashes are thick and heavy.
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/attributed-to-william-matthew-prior-1086-c-8924ab19a1
This subject has large Hamblin-like almond eyes, but with Prior-esque lashes.
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/91832028_attr-sturtevant-hamblen-double-sided-c-183040s
And here, unusually, the artist has opted for almost Blake-like lashes, but the elongated eye shape - and the confident, defiant expression - remains recognizable.
Collaboration is another element of this perplexing puzzle. I know of at least one pair of possible companion portraits (framed separately, but sold consecutively at auction) in which the man seems to have been rendered by the mysterious sixth hand, but the woman was painted by E.W. Blake! Note the stark difference: size and shape of the eye, highlight placement, pupil vs. iris scale, and so forth.
Interestingly, compared to other portraits by these artists, it appears both of these sitters may be people of color. This is a possible recurring motif in the works of Blake, and noticeable among the compilation of the sixth hand’s paintings, as well. More research is required before drawing any conclusions.
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/prior-hamblin-portrait-of-a-man-194-c-7d14596a4a https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/prior-hamblin-portrait-of-lady-with-flowers-195-c-6f3448d804
Here is another mismatched pair (this time sold together outright). The woman appears to have been painted by the sixth hand, and the man seemingly by either W.W. Kennedy or Prior.
By now, the anonymous artist's eyes have become more realistic, and the Prior dual-highlight technique has been successfully adopted, lending greater realism. It would be easy to deem the female portrait a Prior, but I suspect she’s not. She has none of Prior's tendency to shade below the outer corner of the eye, and she has the telltale elongated eye shape we are looking for.
(For the other half of the portrait pair, Kennedy seems a likelier artist than Prior, but it's hard to say with certainty, especially since the picture is so low-resolution!)
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/2-prior-hamblin-portraits-191-c-58341b19e5
Here are two more versions of the "sixth hand" eyes, a loose mixture of the manners of Prior and Hamblin. These portraits are a true pair this time, identically framed.
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/prior-hamblin-school-pair-of-portraits-279-c-894457080f
Once you start noticing them, you'll see them everywhere. The identity of this anonymous painter is still entirely mysterious, and will likely remain obscure for some time. What we can say, with certainty, is that this artist is not any of the five recognizable Prior-Hamblin painters. As I've already noted, a Hartwell or Hamblin sibling is likeliest - but it may turn out to be a total surprise.
More research is forthcoming. Who knows what other mysteries might turn up?
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BONUS: Hamblin-Sixth Hand collaborations on children
There's a particular style of Hamblin-esque child that I've now been able to identify as a collaborative effort between this artist and Sturtevant himself. Their expressions are wry and mischievous, unlike the calm serenity of Hamblin children. See for yourself, but be careful: they are among the hardest to identify - look for the broadly painted facial features & the pinched, claw-like fingers. Worse yet, their defining traits are not consistent (Hamblin faces with sixth-hand fingers... sixth-hand faces with Hamblin hands... et cetera). How did the collaborators decide how to divide up the work? Alternating days? It's anybody's guess.
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ANOTHER BONUS: The other ones that don't make sense
Here is an array of collections attempting to sort through similarity/overlap between the five (now six) artists. If you have any further insights about who's who, please get in touch. https://www.pinterest.com/paintingsworthlookingat/prior-hamblin-overlap/
