George Dury (Tennessee, 1817-1894) signed oil on canvas elbow-length portrait of John George Baxter, Jr. (1826-1885) former Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. The sitter is slightly angled towards the left, is seated in a red chair, is attired in a white collared shirt with a black coat and a black tie, and has receding hairline and a long gray beard. Signed and dated verso lower right corner: G Dury 1871. Housed in a period carved giltwood frame with oval aperture, large projecting foliate corners and beaded decoration throughout. Sight: 29 1/4" H x 24 1/4" W. Framed: 42 1/2" H x 37" W. Note: John George Baxter Jr. was the twentieth (1870-1872) and twenty-second (1879-1881) mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. This portrait has been documented by the Tennessee Portrait Project; the portrait of Baxter's wife is offered in the next lot.

PROVENANCE: Deaccessioned from the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

Painting in overall good condition. Fluorescence to the right side of the sitter's face, likely in the varnish layer. Please refer to UV light photos. Frame with very light wear and minor scattered losses commensurate with age.