Oversize hand-tinted tintype portrait. 19th-century frame. 

Excellent large-format tintype of an armed Civil War soldier, hand colored and framed by a talented artist. The subject looks fearsome as he crosses a pair of large-framed revolvers across his chest. Overpainted tintypes such as this tended to have been made as a memorial after the death of a loved one. A treasured photograph would be brought to a photo artist, who would then enlarge it and paint over it, evoking oil portraits that predate the dawn of photography. Rarely are the subjects of those photos as warlike as this, almost challenging the viewer to a tussle. This is a superior example of the style with serious wall power. Unfortunately, the identity of this warrior is unknown. 

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Art, Folk Art, Military Art, Etching, Engraving, Lithographs, Prints, Ephemera] [Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards]