American & Southern | September 23, 2026
Wed, Sep 23, 2026 10:00AM EDT
Lot 21
Virginia Portrait Miniature by Charles-Balthazar-Julien Fevret de St. Memin
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
Sold for
$2,800
Sold Price excludes BP
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $100 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $200 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
(American/Virginia, 1770-1852)
Double Sided Locket with Portrait of Louis Hue Girardin (1771-1825), 1807, engraving on paper, sight 1-3/4 x 1-1/2 in.; verso, Marriage Portrait of Couple Walking, inscribed lower left "Love & Hymen. P.C n LG", (Hymen is the ancient Greek god of marriage ceremonies) applied hair at bottom edge, watercolor on ivory, sight 1-7/8 x 1-5/8 in.; gilt bezel frame, 2-5/8 x 1-7/8 x 1/4 in.
Provenance: Private Collection, Richmond, Virginia
Literature: Ellen G. Miles, Saint Memin and The Neoclassical Profile Portrait in America (1994), p. 309, no. 361.
Wayne Barrett, "Monsieur Girardin's Prescient Little Magazine", The Journal of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, (Winter 1991-92), p. 28.
Note: Born Louis Francois Picot, he was a political figure in France who supported the ideas of the French Revolution. When he was going to be executed by guillotine for his beliefs, he escaped to the United States and changed his last name to his mother's maiden name, Girardin. He became a college professor and writer, and eventually settled in Virginia with his wife. The monograms of PC and LG could be the initials of Louis Hue Girardin and his wife, Polly Cole.
This lot contains animal or plant material that may be restricted under federal, state and/or local law. Prospective bidders should check all applicable government wildlife restrictions prior to placing a bid. The buyer is solely responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses or permits from federal, state and/or local authorities applicable to their purchase or transport of the object. Please note that bidders in New Jersey may not bid on any lots containing elephant ivory, mammoth ivory, or rhinoceros horn.
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Purchased items will be available for pick up or shipping from our Asheville, North Carolina auction facility within ten business days of the auction, or will be assessed a storage fee of $5.00 per day, per item. Purchaser agrees that packing and shipping is done at the purchaser's risk and that the purchaser will pay in advance all packing expenses, materials, carrier fees and insurance charges. At our discretion, items will either be packed by an agent such as a packaging store or Brunk Auctions. Please allow two weeks for shipping after payment is received. Shipment of large items is the responsibility of the purchaser. We are happy to provide names of carriers and shippers if a purchaser so requests. Brunk Auctions will have no liability for any loss or damage to shipped items.
Private Collection, Richmond, Virginia
not examined out of sealed frame, "Portrait" with staining, light toningļ¼ frame with abrasions, cracks to glass verso
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