COULD YOUR ARTWORK BE BY JOHN BREWSTER JR.?

Previously unknown works by important artists continue to emerge from private collections, estates, inheritances, and long-held family possessions. While authentic works by John Brewster Jr. are relatively uncommon, every work deserves to be evaluated on its own merits rather than dismissed simply because it is unfamiliar or undocumented.

If you believe your portrait painting or miniature may be by John Brewster Jr., obtaining an independent professional opinion is the appropriate first step.

Brewster was an American portrait painter who worked principally in New England. Born Deaf in Hampton, Connecticut, he developed a successful career as an itinerant artist and became particularly admired for his portraits of children. His distinctive portraits are characterized by simplified settings, broad areas of color, carefully delineated details, and an unusual sensitivity to the faces and direct gazes of his sitters.

We have specialized in the authentication of works attributed to John Brewster Jr. since 2002. We issue Certificates of Authenticity (COAs), Authentication Reports, appraisals, valuations, provenance reports, and provide buying, selling, brokerage, and investment advisory services for collectors, attorneys, insurers, financial institutions, estates, museums, and private clients worldwide.

Getting started is straightforward. Simply send us photographs of the work together with its dimensions and any information you have regarding its history or ownership. After reviewing the material, we will recommend the most appropriate course of action.

AUTHENTICATION

Is this a John Brewster Jr.?

From a single photograph of ordinary quality, we can often determine whether a portrait appears consistent with John Brewster Jr.’s work or whether it clearly does not. A first impression may not be definitive because Brewster’s career extended from the late eighteenth century well into the nineteenth, and his portrait formats and treatment of sitters evolved over time.

What services do you provide?

We provide authentication, certification, Certificates of Authenticity (COAs), Authentication Reports, appraisals and valuations, provenance research, private sales and brokerage, investment advice, and analytical art market research.

Is it possible to discover a previously unknown John Brewster Jr. today?

Yes. Brewster was a prolific itinerant portraitist who worked throughout New England, particularly in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine. Previously undocumented portraits may still emerge from old New England families, private collections, estates, and inheritances.

Do I need to get my John Brewster Jr. authenticated?

Yes. Authentication is essential if you wish to sell your work for its full market value. It is also important for insurance, estate planning, charitable donations, financing, and many legal purposes.

Is it complicated to get a John Brewster Jr. authenticated?

Not for you. Simply send us photographs of the front and reverse, close-ups of the paint surface, canvas, stretcher, signature, inscriptions, labels, and other important details, together with the dimensions and anything you know about the sitter or the work’s history. The investigation itself is our responsibility.

How long does it take to authenticate a John Brewster Jr.?

It depends on how much is already known about the work when we begin the investigation. In the simplest cases, authenticity can be confirmed within a couple of weeks. More complex cases may require several months.

How much does it cost to authenticate a John Brewster Jr.?

From the low hundreds to the high thousands. It depends on how much is already known and documented, where relevant archives are located, and whether travel or scientific testing is required.

Can a signature alone prove that a John Brewster Jr. painting is authentic?

No. A signature or inscription must be evaluated together with style, materials, construction, provenance, sitter identification, and documentary evidence.

The reverse of a Brewster portrait can be especially important. A documented 1825 painting bears an inscription on its stretcher reading “John Brewster Jr. pinxt” followed by the date, and Christie’s notes that penciled signatures and dates are recognizable on the stretchers of many of his canvases.

Can an unsigned John Brewster Jr. painting still be authentic?

Yes. The absence of a signature does not by itself establish that a Brewster portrait is inauthentic. The Hood Museum, for example, identifies an unsigned portrait as Brewster’s on the basis of characteristic features of his work. Attribution must therefore consider style, technique, materials, provenance, sitter history, and comparison with documented paintings.

What should I look for on the back of a John Brewster Jr. painting?

The reverse should be examined carefully for penciled inscriptions, signatures, dates, sitter names, old labels, collection markings, and evidence concerning the original stretcher or canvas.

Because Brewster is known to have placed identifying inscriptions on stretchers, an apparently insignificant handwritten notation on the reverse may prove extremely important. It should never be cleaned, erased, strengthened, or altered before professional examination.

What documents help authenticate a John Brewster Jr. painting?

Any document that helps establish the identity of the sitter or the history of the portrait can be valuable. Family photographs, genealogical records, wills, inventories, correspondence, invoices, old exhibition records, conservation reports, auction catalogues, insurance documents, and family papers can all contribute evidence.

Is it always necessary to perform scientific analyses of a John Brewster Jr.?

Can a John Brewster Jr. painting be authenticated from photographs?

Yes. High-quality photography is an extremely useful first-stage authentication tool and allows us to study facial treatment, composition, costume, paint handling, canvas, stretcher, inscriptions, labels, and condition remotely. When additional evidence is required, we may recommend an in-person examination. We examine works worldwide.

Is it always necessary to perform scientific analyses of a John Brewster Jr.?

No. Many works can initially be assessed through art-historical research, provenance investigation, genealogical research, stylistic comparison, and technical examination.

Scientific testing may be appropriate when questions remain concerning pigments, canvas, ground layers, alterations, restorations, or the age of the materials.

What if my John Brewster Jr. has no provenance?

Incomplete provenance is common with American paintings of this period. A portrait may have descended through a family for generations without formal documentation.

In such cases, research into the sitter, family history, geographic origin, inscriptions, costume, genealogy, and related family portraits can be particularly valuable.

Did John Brewster Jr. only paint in oil?

No. Although Brewster is particularly associated with oil portraits on canvas, he also worked as a miniature painter. The Smithsonian’s Catalog of American Portraits, for example, records a circa 1800 miniature attributed to Brewster executed in watercolor on ivory.

Do you issue Certificates of Authenticity for John Brewster Jr. works?

Yes. Upon completion of the authentication, we issue a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) together with a detailed and fully referenced Authentication Report.

APPRAISALS & VALUATIONS

How much is my John Brewster Jr. painting worth?

We will appraise your painting and determine its value. Important factors include authenticity, sitter, date, dimensions, composition, quality, condition, provenance, exhibition and publication history, and current market demand.

Subject matter and period can be particularly important. Brewster became especially accomplished at portraying children, and by around 1810 he increasingly concentrated on half-length portraits of children rather than the full-length formats found earlier in his career.

The identity of the sitter can also materially affect historical interest and value, especially when the portrait can be connected to a documented New England family or to other portraits from the same commission.

SELLING

Can you sell my John Brewster Jr. for me?

Yes. We specialize in private sales but use every appropriate selling method to obtain the highest possible net price. We manage the process professionally, confidentially, and on your behalf.

Do I need an appraisal before selling my John Brewster Jr.?

Yes. Your work should be priced correctly for the country, market, and method of sale. An independent appraisal helps prevent both underpricing and overpricing.

Do I need authentication before selling my John Brewster Jr.?

Yes. Establishing a convincing attribution and documenting the sitter, provenance, inscriptions, and history of the portrait can have a substantial effect on both marketability and value.

Can you help me maximize the selling price of my John Brewster Jr.?

Yes. Authentication, sitter identification, genealogy, provenance, valuation, condition, scholarly documentation, timing, presentation, and the chosen sales method can all influence the final result.

Should I restore my John Brewster Jr. before selling it?

Usually not without first obtaining specialist advice. Early American paintings may have undergone lining, cleaning, varnishing, retouching, or other interventions during their history.

Original surfaces, stretchers, inscriptions, and labels can also contain valuable evidence. For this reason, conservation should not be undertaken until the work has been properly examined.

How long does it take to sell a John Brewster Jr.?

Higher-value American folk portraits generally require access to a specialized group of collectors, dealers, and institutions. Correct attribution, sitter identification, provenance, condition, and pricing can all contribute to a successful sale.

BUYING & ADVISORY

Should I buy a John Brewster Jr.?

If you enjoy Brewster’s work, certainly. If your primary objective is investment, we can evaluate the proposed acquisition and alternative opportunities.

Can you review a John Brewster Jr. before I buy it?

Yes. We provide independent pre-purchase research and analysis for collectors and investors. We also prepare predictive art market forecasts and Buy-Hold-Sell recommendations.

What should I check before buying a John Brewster Jr.?

Three fundamental questions should always be answered: Is the attribution supportable? What is its condition? Is the price reasonable?

The reverse of the painting should also be examined carefully. Particular attention should be paid to stretcher inscriptions, sitter names, dates, provenance, family history, canvas construction, restoration, and whether the portrait can be connected with other Brewster paintings.

How can I avoid buying a fake or misattributed John Brewster Jr.?

Call us before you buy. Brewster’s flattened forms, direct gazes, carefully described costume details, restrained settings, and distinctive treatment of faces can be imitated or confused with the work of other early American itinerant portraitists.

An independent examination before completing the purchase is one of the simplest ways to reduce the risk of acquiring a forged or incorrectly attributed painting.

Can you advise me on building a collection?

Yes. We advise collectors on the financial aspects of acquisition, ownership, collection management, and eventual sale.

REQUEST A JOHN BREWSTER JR. AUTHENTICATION OR APPRAISAL

Whether you require authentication, a Certificate of Authenticity, an appraisal, valuation, provenance research, sitter identification, buying advice, selling assistance, brokerage, or investment guidance regarding a work attributed to John Brewster Jr., our specialists are available to assist.

Complete the contact form below or call us at +1 (212) 658-0466 to discuss your work with one of our experts.