Tiny presidential portrait expected to sell for $1 million

John Ramage's 1789 miniature portrait of George Washington last appeared on the market in 1988, when it sold for $633,600 at a Christie's sale in London

DUBLIN, Ireland -- A 2-inch-high portrait of George Washington, painted by an Irish artist in 1789, is expected to sell for $1 million at auction later this month.

"On a square-inch basis this is probably the most expensive artwork ever to come to market," Susan Kleckner at Christie's auctioneers in New York told Reuters.

The miniature portrait of the United States' first president was painted by Dublin-born artist John Ramage in watercolor on ivory and enclosed in a gold locket. It was commissioned by Washington as a gift for his wife Martha, and remained in the Washington family for over a century.

While more than 50 portraits of the hero of the American Revolution were painted from life between 1755 and his death in 1799, fewer than a dozen were miniatures and the Ramage piece is the only one specifically referred to in Washington's diaries.

"In terms of provenance, rarity, and artistic competence this work is pretty much unequaled. It's more than just a miniature, it's a piece of American history," Kleckner said.

The portrait shows Washington in the uniform of a general, with gold epaulettes and a lace cravat. The gold casing also contains a lock of his hair.

John Ramage, one of the most important miniaturists of his time, emigrated to America from Dublin as a young man and cut an often controversial dash across New York society, marrying three times, once bigamously, and dying in debt.

Kleckner said the artwork, due to go under the hammer in New York on January 19, could well exceed its guide price.

Copyright 2001 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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