Eckardt, Otto - group of family portraits

All of the miniature portraits in this rare family group of paintings are signed "O E Eckardt" and on the reverse several are stamped "Otto E Eckardt Dresden Lindenaustr 20". Numbers 5 and 6 respectively, have later handwritten notes saying "Great grand mother Marmet" and "Great grand father Marmet". Number 9 has a note saying "Great aunt Lena". Although the artist is from Germany, the portraits were purchased from Ohio. The name Marmet is well recorded there and some brothers who emigrated there became wealthy from coal mining and shipping. It is currently believed that the portraits represent members of this family, especially as there was a daughter called Lena. It seems unlikely that all family members went to Dresden to have their portraits painted and perhaps more likely that photographs of them were sent to Germany and the portraits then painted from the photographs. Although the sitters look rather sombre, the detail in the portraits is amazing. (When time permits, the individual portraits will be loaded.) 698