Thomas Hazlehurst, miniature painting, Thomas Hazlehurst (British, 1740-1821), Portrait of a Naval Officer, Sea Captain or Merchant, colors on oval matrix, signed "TH", lower right, 3"h x 2.5"w (matrix), 5.5"h x 4.75"w (framed)

Provenance: Palmetto Hall: The Jay P. Altmayer Family Collection

Notes/Literature: Hazlehurst was born in Liverpool and was a pupil of Joshua Reynolds. He exhibited at the Society for Promoting Painting and Design in Liverpool between 1760 and 1818 and at the Liverpool Academy between 1810 and 1812. He made over £20,000 from his paintings but invested badly and died in poverty. His work is highly finished and is said to be of "great excellence". Some of his work is in the British Museum and a collection of his paintings of Lancashire flora is in the City of Liverpool Library.

Fair, shows age, abraded paint loss to lower edge, especially sleeves of the gent's coat, an expertly painted portrait