Greiner, Christopher Martin - portrait of lady with ringlets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artist and sitter are unknown. Although they were acquired separately, it appears likely that this portrait and the following one, here the left of the two showing, were painted by the same artist. 493

Much later! As the result of the eagle eye of a kind visitor, it has been possible to attribute this miniature to the Philadelphia artist, Christopher Greiner (?-1864).

The visitor noticed that the adjacent miniature as showing here was featured in the Christie's catalogue for sale 9072 in 1999 as part of lot 160 and as showing in the page from the catalogue, at the top left.  The miniature was there attributed to Christopher Greiner. 989

The Smithsonian American Art Museum has one miniature by Greiner and notes;
Christopher M. Greiner worked in Philadelphia and Reading, Pennsylvania, between 1837 and 1864.

Although I have not checked them out the following items at ancestry.com appear to refer to him and suggest he emigrated from Europe, probably from Germany.
- Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Travel Name: Christopher Martin Greiner Arrival  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia,
- 1789-1880 Naturalization Records & Immigration; Travel Name: Christopher Martin Greiner
- Genealogy Master Index (BGMI) Stories, Memories, Histories Name: Christopher M Greiner Death: 1864

These are some of over a dozen American portraits in the collection, from around 1830-35, all depicting young ladies wearing a "little black dress", and thus indicating the 19C origin of the proverbial fashion item, of  a "little black dress" usually claimed as being in the 1920's.