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I. W. Wells
Salon No. 5

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Untitled, Portrait of a Young Woman Holding a Rose By I. W. Wells, Feb. 5, 1874 Pokerwork on elaborately framed wood panel Image thanks to Emil Simon, Wellington Gallery

Untitled, Portrait of a Young Woman Holding a Rose verso, detail of the signature By I. W. Wells, Feb. 5. 1874 Inscription, verso, reads: Burnt by I.W.Wells Feb 5. .74. Note that the artist's name could easily be interpreted as J. W. Wells rather than I. W. Wells because of the calligraphic style. However, the same is true of the signature shown for this artist in his inscription on the 1866 panel in the Pinto Collection of the Birmingham Museum in the U.K. Pokerwork on elaborately framed wood panel Image thanks to Emil Simon, Wellington Gallery

Untitled, Verso By I. W. Wells, Feb. 5, 1874 Pokerwork on framed wood panel Image thanks to Emil Simon, Wellington Gallery

Untitled, Portrait of a Young Woman Holding a Rose By I. W. Wells, Feb. 5, 1874 Pokerwork on elaborately framed wood panel Image thanks to Emil Simon, Wellington Gallery

Exhibited here in this salon is an untitled panel of an unknown subject by I. W. Wells. This lovely presumed portrait of a young woman holding a rose, dated February 5, 1874, and set in an elaborate frame, came as a result of a query from Canada. That query was a request for biographical information on I. W. Wells; however, the truth is, the E-Museum does not know even what his initials I. W. stand for. The artist is as much a mystery as this portrait, it seems.

It is a coincidence that, about the same time this portrait came along (back in the spring of 2012), another panel by Wells also came to the E-Museum's attention; however, images were never forthcoming for that one, and so, the Curator would like to note here that there is a very large 1873 panel by Wells (approximately 60 inches wide by 30 inches tall) that is one slab of wood, braced on the back so that it is solid and flat. It came from the Pennsylvania estate of an old Lancaster family, according to the appraiser who wrote. That magnificent panel is after a Benjamin West painting of William Penn signing a treaty with the Indians.

A picture of a Wells' work can be seen in the companion book that was written by Edward and Eva Pinto, the original owners of that work and of about 19 other pyrography works that were acquired by the Birmingham Museums and today form part of the Pinto Collection there. Four works in pyrography are on display at the web site of the Pinto Collection in Birmingham, England, although not their sole work by I. W. Wells.

Susan Millis, who has an advanced degree in the conservation and restoration of pyrographic works, has studied at length and under magnification the works in the Pinto Collection. She is encouraged that the untitled 1874 Wells portrait of a Young Woman Holding a Rose, displayed here, could well be by the same artist who did the 1866 panel "Waiting for the Plough" that is in England.

Notes on that important collection, including on I. W. Wells, were given by Susan Millis in an interview for Pyrograffiti at the link here.

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If you have either any questions to ask or any additional information to offer about I. W. Wells or any panels by him, please e-mail the E-Museum Curator.

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