James C. Platt, (American, 1818-1882)

James C. Platt
(American, New York, 1818-1882)

"Portrait of Rachel Ann Woertendyke (1835-1870)", 1858
"Portrait of Margaret Woertendyke (1832-1884)", 1858

pair of oils on canvas
each signed and dated mid-left.
Each in a period frame.
30" x 25", framed 43" x 35" and 30" x 25", framed 40-1/2" x 35", respectively

Provenance: Cornelius R. Wortendyke and & wife, Ann Berdan Wortendyke; to their daughter
Rachel A. Wortendyke (Mrs. James Anderson); to their son
Cornelius Woertendyke Anderson; to his daughter
Margaret Anderson (Mrs. Eugene Franklin Emmons)
thence by descent in the family to the consignor

Notes: James C. Platt was born on October 6, 1818, on Staten Island, New York, though nothing is known of his early life and education. He may well be the James C. Platt whom ship manifests show visiting England in 1844, but he is most certainly the "J.C. Platt, pupil of Mr. Huntington, the celebrated painter of New York" who advertised the opening of his studio in the Franklin Building in the Brooklyn Evening Star of October 30, 1850. He was listed as an active member of the Brooklyn Art Untion Gallery from 1851 and as an exhibitor at the Brooklyn, New York and New York City National Academy of Design 1852-1856. He advertised his portraits in New York newspapers and art magazines thoughout the 1850s, moving his studio to 599 Broadway in New York by 1860. He had returned to Brooklyn by the 1870s, and his works became quite popular, with sales of his works at Cole & Murphy in December 1870, the Brooklyn Art Association in March 1872, and the Institute Studios in April 1873. A notice in the June 7, 1876 Brooklyn Union noted that Platt "is one of the oldest artists in the city, in point of long residence, as his studio at No. 394 State street near Bond. He has a number of paintings just completed, or on the easel, among them a number of panel pictures in oil and several water-color studies . . . An upright panel painting of the celebrated Delaware Water Gap in autumn shows a good deal of bright warm color in the landscape, which contrasts well with the blue of the sky, which is flecked with fleecy clouds. Among the water colors were . . two cabinet pictures [of] Catskill Creek and Kauterskill Cove." It was doubtless, however, portraits such as the present lot for which he was most celebrated. His portrait of George Washington Dixon (1808-1861) is in the National Portrait Gallery. Platt died on Christmas Eve 1882, and is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.
The Woertendyke family Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Tea Set is offered in this sale, lot 945.
Dimensions: 35 x 43 in