Pair of Portraits, Husband and Wife

New England or New York, ca .1840
Artist unidentified
Oil on canvas
36” x 29 ¾”, 38 ½” x 31 ½” (frame)
Excellent condition; a few small minor patches visible verso; less than one percent of in-painting; retaining original gilt liner.
This wonderful, vibrantly painted pair of husband-and-wife portraits share many attributes of the work of Orlando Hand Bears, including the landscape vignettes seen behind drapery accented with tassels and the incorporation of architectural columns and fancy furniture, commonly used as props in Bears work, however the facial features are flatter and broader than Bears normally painted. Although there are strikingly similar attributes, we feel this artist is still unidentified.