RARE ANTIQUE WAX SILHOUETTE ~ MASSACHUSETTS COLONIAL GOVERNOR THOMAS HUTCHINSON

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

RARE ANTIQUE WAX SILHOUETTE ~ MASSACHUSETTS COLONIAL GOVERNOR THOMAS HUTCHINSON:
$899.99

We originally purchased this wax silhouette around ten years ago along with a similarly framed wax silhouette of Martha Washington, from the estate of a silhouette collector. The silhouette is housed in an antique frame under old glass just as we found it. The frame measures 6” x 5” with the figure measuring approximately 2 ½” x 1 ½” inside of the frame. It appears to be mounted above the backing (like a spacer of some sort was used between the silhouette and the backing) to give a three dimensional effect. In the figure beneath the shoulder is the incised name “PETIT. F”. There is information written on the back of the item which reads “Comitia Americana, Thos. Hutchison \"Hist n 1764”. This is hand written in sepia colored ink in old fashioned script on laid paper (see photo). The silhouette is in good original condition given its’ age and we see no signs of historical repairs. Please excuse the glass glare showing in the photographs.

We have corresponded with the Renfrew museum in America as well as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London regarding the image. The Victoria and Albert (V&A) advised “The wax of Thomas Hutchison is likely to be by Louis Michel Petit (1791-1844). He was a French sculptor, medallist and wax modeler and was known to have made a number of wax portraits between 1815-1844. He was born and died in Paris, and he studied under Pierre Cartellier. He signed his works “Petit F.” They further stated that “A Boigraphical Dictionary of Wax Modellers (1973) by E. J. Pyke includes only one extant work by Petit – Thomas Hutchison in the collection of Mrs. R Alvestad, California\". We are located in California and we suspect that the example referred to by Pyke in his 1973 book is likely the image that we now own 39 years later. Petit. F. we would guess stands for Petit Fecit or, loosely translated, Petit made this.

As previously mentioned, written on the frame backing are the words “Comitia Americana”. This translates from Latin as “American Congress”. This has us a bit mystified. During our research on this item, we discovered following the American Revolutionary war, a series of honorary medals were authorized by the American Congress under this name but we fail to see how they relate to this silhouette. Thomas Hutchinson, 1711-1780, was the Royal Governor of Massachusetts 1769-1774 and much reviled and despised by revolutionary patriots. It is highly unlikely that a post war American congress would have honored him. So for the moment, the relevance of the words Comitia Americana written on the back remain a mystery. At the time we purchased this image, we also purchased a wax silhouette of Martha Washington which was housed in a nearly identical frame. It also has the words Comitia Americana hand written on the back as well as “NO 15”. This leads us to believe that both images are part of a series of silhouettes of famous individuals. It is also worth noting that the Governor’s name appears to be spelled Hutchison rather than Hutchinson although we believe they are one in the same person.

At the moment, we cannot state with certainty when this silhouette was made. It is obviously quite old. Until definitive information is revealed, we would conjecture that the image is from the early 19th century and rare. In fact, very few images of the Governor exist today and any image of Thomas Hutchinson must be considered quite rare. We think that this image is special and we are still actively researching this silhouette and welcome any information that anyone might wish to share. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Please Note: We invite you to view our other sales for the Martha Washington wax silhouette we mentioned above.

SHIPPING/PAYMENT: Buyer to pay actual shipping & insurance costs based on weight and value. There is an additional 1% material and handling charge on all transactions. Please Note: The S/H/I rate shown may change after the conclusion of the sale once the actual shipping destination is known (the shipping rate shown is for United States destinations only). If you wish to know shipping to your area please contact us. The US Postal Service is now basing shipping rates on dimensional size as well as actual weight depending on the area or zone to which an item is being shipped. We do ship Internationally, however, we recommend you contact us to insure the item is not oversized for shipment to your country. We do not alter Customs documents. Please Note: We ship once a week, normally on Tuesday. Arrangements for personal pick-up can be made; however, payment must be received in advance. Payment is to be received within 3 days post sale. If during the final few hours of the sale encounters difficulties, we reserve the right to relist the item in fairness to all buyers. If you have any questions please contact us. All sales are final unless otherwise stipulated.