Miniature Portrait of Aunt Sarah given as a Gift to her Nephew Richard Harradence Hall for his Fifteenth Birthday in 1844

THE STORY - Anyone who knows my shop will not be surprised that upon my seeing her among a number of other miniatures at a Dealers stall, I knew straight away she was coming home with me. The miniature painted in watercolour upon card is striking, especially with that face but it also has a strong element of both depth and resonance, not just for the script on the reverse, telling of the story of the painting of the portrait as a gift for the Lady's Nephew, but in the small details of the portrait. Such as the locket which she is holding in her hand, who is the painting in the locket, I firstly thought it was her husband, but now I think I could be wrong and it could indeed be her sister possibly the mother of Richard Harradence Hall. I have researched both Sarah Southams and Richard Harrandence Hall's name, I could find no trace of Sarah but I did find an entry in the Journals of St Nicholas Church in Great Yarmouth in England of a Baptism of a Richard Harradence Hall on the 3rd of June 1829, child of George and Elizabeth Hall where it gave his father's occupation as a shoemaker. The painting is framed in what I think is an ebonized wooden frame with a brass rectangular mount.

DATE - 1844

DIMENSIONS - Framed Measures Approx in Height 6" / 15.2 cm with a width of 5&1/4" / 13cm and Unframed measures approx in height 3" / 8cm by 2&1/2"/ 6.5cm in width

CONDITION - The painting is in very good condition. The frame does show some signs of wear which is to be expected with the age especially in the bottom right hand corner as you look at it and their is certainly wear to the brass mount. There has obviously been a new back put on the frame and it is on this that the script has been glued there is again some small tearing and wear to this as can be seen in the photographs and again as is to be expected with it's age.

Oh how I would of loved to have been a fly on the wall to see Richard Harradence Hall's face when he opened his gift from his Aunt Sarah for his Fifteenth Birthday would it of been the gift he had been dreaming of?!!!! I however absolutely love her and think she is a real precious jewel and I can't help but think she was one amazing woman.