Vintage Miniature Cameo Portrait of Lady Cynthia Capel by Vincent Nesbert after John Hayter 7.75″ x 7″

HISTORY (from online sources):  VINCENT NESBERT (1898 – 1976), a prominent Pittsburgh artist, was born in Telechany, Poland, and immigrated to Pittsburgh around 1914.  Upon his arrival in Pittsburgh, Nesbert found work shoveling sand while attending night school.  Later hired as an assistant to the sign painters at the G. G. O’Brien Company, he was soon promoted to designer, a position he held for four years. While employed at O’Brien, he attended evening art classes at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh.  In September 1918, Nesbert volunteered for the United States Army, which allowed him to become a naturalized American citizen.  Nesbert returned to Pittsburgh and resumed his position with G. G. O’Brien until 1920, when he went to New York City to study at Columbia University’s National Academy of Design.  In 1921, he was awarded the Joseph Pulitzer Traveling Scholarship, which enabled him to tour Europe and visit the prominent art museums.  By 1922, Nesbert had returned to Pittsburgh and in 1924, was hired by Kaufmann’s Department Store as a display artist.  Despite being hired to work in the stores, Nesbert spent most of his time painting portraits of the Kaufmann family.  In 1928, he joined the faculty of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and later served as dean for many years and, in 1963. was promoted to assistant director. After retiring from the Art Institute, Nesbert continued teaching evening art classes at the Carnegie Institute.  His art was traditional in style and ranged from miniatures to still lifes.  Frequently commissioned to produce portraits of prominent individuals, Nesbert is perhaps best known for the series of large murals that he executed in the Allegheny County Courthouse for the Works Project Administration during the New Deal.

JOHN HAYTER (1800 – 1895) was an English portrait painter who was Painter-in-Ordinary to Queen Victoria, having first painted her when she was 12 years old.   He was the second son of the miniaturist Charles Hayter and brother of Sir George Hayter, also a portraitist.  He entered the Royal Academy schools in 1815 and began to exhibit at the Royal Academy in the same year.  He also exhibited work at the British Institution and the Royal Society of British Artists. Hayter established himself during the 1820s, with portraits of notable figures such as the Duke of Wellington and the opera singer, Giuditta Pasta. His portrait drawings, in chalks or crayons, became particularly popular, a number of them being engraved for The Court Album, which contained portraits of the female aristocracy (1850–57).

“A CAMEO CREATION ” — Artwork identified as “A Cameo Creation” was produced by the Chicago-based Turner Manufacturing Company which was, at one time, the largest producer of affordably priced decorative art and mirrors in the United States.  The company started after World War II and went out of business around 1975.  Their wall art was sold in department stores and “five & dimes” and is still relatively easy to find.  Much of what they produced was prints of Old Masters, but they also manufactured some very cool modern pictures.  These items originally were sold in the home decor sections of major department stores.  In the Pittsburgh area, for example, all the Kauffmann’s department stores probably would have carried them (see above).

SHIPPING: $10 flat rate shipping valid only for street addresses within contiguous United States; we cannot deliver to post office boxes.  For shipping to Alaska, Hawaii and elsewhere, please contact us with your location for a custom shipping quote.

A WORD ABOUT VINTAGE: Our inventory consists of vintage or antique items which are more than 20 years old, usually used or pre-owned, unless marked “new old stock.”  As such, there may be signs of wear and age, which we will disclose to the best of our ability.  Nevertheless, we encourage you to carefully read the description and view the photos, especially when purchasing a gift.  All items ship with tracking and insurance, and although we do not accept returns, we will offer a refund in case of breakage or damage during transit, upon receipt of sufficient proof. 

Thank you for visiting AlegriaCollection!