C A $ E O P O R T R A IT U R E IN A $ E R I C A BY H H API OWAR D $ . C N IL L US TRA TED PROV IDENCE PRINTED BY T H E P L I M P T O N P R E S S R F O PRES TON a; ROU N DS c o . MCM$ V III A 111 deeply indebted to L a wrence k r o h A Edd P $ s se T . J . ar . a , p y, nd the Museu m o F i e A r s a Bos o o r f n t , t t n , f th eir as sistance and cooperation; to P ro e r h sso Wi ia m C . Po a Mr C ar es f ll l nd , . l e Ai r Ch es K . Bo o r ar . ar H n y H t , l lt n . V ’ I w H . s o AI . L . r . o ar Pre a r H d t n , nd Earle R ow e for th eir suggestions and ih terest; and to th e printed w orks of Isabel Jloore F s ob er riclf , ranci H art H . and Jle rr ia m C . Hart . N K 5 72 0 C 5 Read A pr il 1 0 1 91 8 w e A $ deeply indebted to Mr . L a r nce k r h A E Par $ s ose T . a J . , . p ddy, nd th e Museum o F i e A r s a Bos o or f n t , t t n , f th eir assistance and cooperation; to P r o W h es essor i iam C . Po a Mr C ar f ll l nd , . l Bo o e r ar Mr Ch ar es K . H n y H t , . l lt n , A$ W. es o . L . r . ow ar Pr a Mr H d t n , nd Earle R ow e for th eir suggestions and in terest; and to th e printed w or ks of Isabel Moore F ra is obar erri k a , nc H t H c , nd C . Hart IL L UST RAT IONS L . V . H A PI B b e J . C N y A nna l F rontispiece A PI b J . B. C H N A nna le L L A b e 1 J . INC O N nna l 9 F O U R H UNT BR O S H u nt 21 $ R L Y K i 2‘ H . EE E ng 5 AUD UBON K ing 29 AUDUBON K ing 33 - ud JOH N H UT T ON St. $ a ens 35 E PH R A I$ ABBOT F oley 37 $ Y k $ . OR E Un nown 4 1 IL L UST RAT IONS . L . V . C H A I B b e J C . P N y A nna l F rontispiece B. A J . C H PIN A nnable 1 5 . L I L e J S . NC O N A nnabl 1 9 F OUR H UNT BR O S H unt 21 H $ R L Y K i 2 . EE E ng 5 AUD U BON K ing 29 AUD UBON K ing 33 J H H T T t - u O N U ON S . $ a de ns 35 EPH R A I$ ABBOT F oley 37 $ Y k $ . OR E Un now n 4 1 C A$ EO POR T R AIT UR E IN A$ ER IC A C ABIEO is an engraving A cut in relief upon stone , o r shell , glass , other hard substance having two o r more O f layers color , and so treated ' as to utilize the e fle c t O f the f variety O coloring . Although this is the common usage O f “ ” the word cameo , it is given as its second meaning in most fo r dictionaries , which give its first meaning an engraving in [ 1 1 ] C A$ EO POR T R AT UR E IN A$ ER IC . C A h lEO is an ngr a ving u o n cut in relief stone , shell , glass , or ther hard substance having tW( or more o f 0 layers color , and treated as to utilize the effet O f the O f variety coloring . Although this is the common usage o f “ ” the word cameo , i is given as its second m e anirr in most re dictionaries , which g for its first meaning an e nraving in [ 1 1 ] C A M E O P O R T R A I T U R E relief as distinguished from an O f intaglio . The derivation the “ word cameo has no t been traced . Cameos are usually cut in agates , sardonyx being the best adapted to the purpose , or in certain tropical shells hav ing two layers O f color These shells are found at the Isle of Bourbon , near Madagascar , at C O f eylon , and at some the West Indies . On account Of the fact that those shells from Ceylon were shipped to E urope via C alcutta , the shells used for cameos are Often called Calcutta shells . E19 J C A M E O P O R T R A I T U R E A . D ing the fourth century . , and although occasionally prae ticed was no t revived upon a large scale until the fifteenth century . Then it came into vogue in Italy and spread to France , where for a time it was extensively cultivated . At pres ent very little cameo - cutting is done outside Of Italy My interest in portrait cameos was first aroused by a gift from my aun t Of shell - cameo portraits O f my grandfather and grand mother . My historical point of V iew naturally led me to study the t anti$ uity Of cameo portrai ure . I 14 J CAMEO PORTRAIT O F H J . B. C A N DR . PI Cut by Annable about 1 850 . C A M E O P O R T R A I T U R E C o u ameos , y doubtless real ize , are generally cut in alle o ric al g or ornamental designs , but cameo portraiture has been occasionally practiced . The earliest extant cameo portrait is that Of Ptolemy II ' and his first wife , Arsino e. It dates from between 285 an d 279 B . C . , having been cut in a three - layer block Of sardonyx six and a $ uarter inches long by five inches wide . This cameo , usually known as the “ C ’ 9 Gonzaga ameo , is now pre served at the Hermitage in Petrograd . A slightly smaller nine - layer [ 16 ] I N A M E R I C A sardonyx cameo portrait O f Ptolemy II and his second wife , e' also named Arsino , is preserved in V ienna . Cameo portraits O f D emet rius Sotor and his wife Lao dice , Of Augustus , Of Livia , and Of Germanicus are extant , the latter being by the artist Epi tync h am us A later cameo por trait is considered to bear the likeness O f Marcus Aurelius F ’ and austina . Constantine s portrait was also cut in cameo , but after his time the art de l n c i e d . Cameo portraiture was r e vive d in the Renaissance . [ 17 ] C A M E O P O R T R A I T U R E Likenesses Of Francis I and his C V $ ueen , of harles , Of Philip II , O f Jerome Savonarola , and Of R én King é were cut in cameo . A cameo portrait Of Alexander de Medici was cut in plasma . The most noted cameo artist O f the later Renaissance was a “ ” C o ld o r e Frenchman , called , who cut in cameos the portraits o f IV $ III Henry , Louis , and $ ueen E lizabeth . Turning now t o American cameo portraiture , I naturally began with those in my own possession and found that th e v were cut by a local sculptor , O f George 0 . Annable , Provi [ 18 ] CAMEO PORTRAIT O F L L JAMES S . INCO N Ou t by A nuable . C A M E O P O R T R A I T U R E dence . He had studied draw ing under my grandmother , and later , having chosen sculpture as his field , cut her likeness in cameo as a mark O f his appre c iatio n Of her instruction and assistance . He also cut a por trait O f my grandfather . The difference in the execution O f the two cameos is striking ; that Of my grandmother shows the spirit Of the artist at his best , executing an appreciation , t t while the o her , hough done gratuitously as a companion piece , clearly approaches in spirit the plane Of a commerci al commission . 90 J C A M E O P O R T R A I T U R E O . s o n George Annable , the Of Jeremiah and Mary B . Anna 1 829 ble , was born about He had a studio in the Hoppin building in Providence , and in 1 850 cut a cameo portrait Of D r . C Nathan B . rocker , the ’ . C rector Of St John s hurch . The following account from the Providence J ou r nal O f Janu 1 8 1 85 1 ary , , gives us an idea ’ of A nnab le s work and a mbi tion .