George G Hartwell Paintings & Artwork for Sale | George G Hartwell Art Value Price Guide

Apr. 10, 2026
GEORGE G. HARTWELL (Massachuetts, 1815-1901), Child with a rose and a basket of strawberries., Oil on canvas, 36" x 28". Framed 46" x 38".
Est: $5,000 - $10,000
GEORGE G. HARTWELL Massachuetts, 1815-1901 Child with a rose and a basket of strawberries. Unsigned. Young Girl in White is a particularly fine example by George G. Hartwell, whose contributions have long been mistaken for his Prior-Hamblin colleagues. Now, after new breakthroughs in scholarship, Hartwell has been recognized and celebrated far more than ever before. The very charming Young Girl is exemplary of Hartwell's large-scale child portraiture. It works from a distance as well as up close, drawing upon his skills as a sign painter. Her crisp white dress stands out starkly against the dark landscape. The flesh tones are appealingly vibrant, and the pink floral accents really pop. The detailed, realistic hands and fingers indicate Hartwell's advanced skill. There is a real sense of life and intensity in her eyes. Hartwell produced dozens of child portraits in this particular style. It was his signature pose, with feet pointing outward, one arm straight and one arm bent, reminiscent of paper dolls in its artful simplicity. Young Girl in White is especially comparable to the Portrait of Adelaide Endora Smith, c. 1852 (Colby College Museum of Art, 1991.002). Young Girl's face is rendered with stronger shading and more dramatic contrast, suggesting a later date for the portrait offered here, possibly c. 1855. Children in Hartwell's portraits are usually dressed in a vibrant pinkish-red, or a subtler blue. White is very unusual: the only other known example in this pose is Portrait of Charles Franklin Carter (CRN Auctions 10/20/2024 #76). But Charles precedes Young Girl by a few years, closer to 1850. The improvement in Hartwell's shading, polish, and realism may be seen in this portrait at a glance. Various small idiosyncrasies also help us pin this down as a Hartwell. The stormy background adds gravitas and intensity. The jagged tree stump and small slope-roofed house are among his standard background accents. The small basket of cherries in the child's hand is also characteristic of Hartwell's work – it's one of his usual props, which he may have painted from memory, following a reliable formula. Take note, as well, of the "flying roses," a particularly quirky depiction of the flower with leaves outstretched like wings on each side. By all estimations, Young Girl in White is among the best examples of Hartwell's child portraits to have surfaced. Although he never lost the Prior Hamblin School's stylized flair, Hartwell's technique consistently evolved and improved with the passage of time, resulting in a blend between folky appeal and an objectively good likeness. This portrait has the modernist feeling coveted by connoisseurs of folk art, but its appeal is ubiquitous. It catches your attention and does not let go. George G. Hartwell was a mild-mannered yet professionally driven man who gave up his career as a sea captain in favor of portraiture. In the 1840s, he almost certainly learned in the studio of Sturtevant J. Hamblin in East Boston: his style more closely resembles Hamblin's than the more famous William Matthew Prior. As the years passed, Hartwell learned and evolved, absorbing elements of other American folk portrait techniques as he sought to improve his art. After a brief stay in New Hampshire, Hartwell moved to Maine in 1850 and remained there the rest of his life as the proprietor of a sign-painting shop. At the time of his death in 1902, he was remembered as a pillar of his local community who continued to paint portraits into venerable old age. For further information on Hartwell and a detailed biography, see "The Splendid Simplicity of George G. Hartwell," by Dr. Paul D'Ambrosio and Emily Esser, forthcoming in Americana Insights 2026. Signed examples and biographical reference: https://americanfolkportraits.miraheze.org/wiki/Category:George_G._Hartwell Portrait of Adelaide Endora Smith: https://museum.colby.edu/objects/3890 Portrait of Charles Franklin Carter: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/188307299_american-folk-art-portrait-c-1840-cambridge-ma Lot essay by Emily Esser
Eldred's
Jan. 27, 2026
POSSIBLY GEORGE HARTWELL (1815-1901). Portrait of a Lady. oil on canvasSigh
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
POSSIBLY GEORGE HARTWELL (1815-1901). Portrait of a Lady. oil on canvasSight: 14 x 10 ½ in. (35.6 x 26.7 cm.).
Christie's
Jul. 18, 2024
George Hartwell- Pair of Portraits
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
George Hartwell (1815-1901). Pair of folk art portraits of a man and a woman. Oil on board. Massachusetts, circa 1840. Frame: H 17" W 13". Sight: H 13-1/2" W 9-1/2". Condition: Excellent original condition. Inspected under UV light. No restoration noted. Exceptionally beautiful dry surface. Original paint-decorated frames. Provenance: Stephen Score, Skinner Auctions. Copy and paste link for high-res images: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/jfoxzsoeat5ruk5eprw9k/ABWpeaVZKht_ZpastYtyFw8?rlkey=w84nv0pdvy10959ff59jbpgdf&st=senx4p9q&dl=0
New England Auctions
Jun. 21, 2023
George Hartwell - Pair of Portraits
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
George Hartwell (1815-1901) - Pair of portraits. Oil on artist panel. Gilded frames. Provenance: Hillary Underwood. Pam Boynton. Illustrated: Antiques and Fine Art Magazine 2008. An Appreciation of 19th Century Folk Portraits by Dave Krashes. Frame: H 33" W 26-3/4". Sight: H 27-1/8" W 20-5/8". Condition: Excellent original condition. Inspected under UV light. Copy and paste link for high-res images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/m65s6z1ve1mpshv/AABWYkq1LS1omtmRMZjcSLKfa?dl=0
New England Auctions
Jun. 21, 2023
Portrait of a Lady
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
George Hartwell (1815-1901) - Portrait of a lady. Oil on canvas. Circa 1835. Provenance: Jeffery Tillou. Frame: H 32" W 26-3/4". Canvas: H 27-1/4" W 22-1/4". Condition: Inspected under UV light. Excellent original condition. Very minor retouch. Copy and paste link for high-res images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/v4xa29wp5b3wost/AACNzw469mpHBHZHKW2PpfjUa?dl=0
New England Auctions
Apr. 09, 2022
Attrib. to George Hartwell (1815-1901, MA) oil
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
painting on board depicting a portrait of a woman named Susan, in a blue dress. Unsigned. Subject is identified on verso. Sight size 13 1/2" x 9 1/4", in period frame, overall 20" x 16". Minor inpainting and small losses. Board slightly rippled. Provenance: From the estate of Dr. Harry Von Ertfelda.
Marion Antique Auctions
Jan. 20, 2022
POSSIBLY GEORGE HARTWELL (1815–1901) LADY IN A BLUE DRESS WITH GOLD BEADS o
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
POSSIBLY GEORGE HARTWELL (1815–1901) LADY IN A BLUE DRESS WITH GOLD BEADS oil on board 15 x 11 in.
Christie's
Jun. 08, 2008
Attributed to George G. Hartwell (Massachusetts, 1815-1901) Portrait of a Sea Captain. Unsigned...
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Attributed to George G. Hartwell (Massachusetts, 1815-1901) Portrait of a Sea Captain. Unsigned. Oil on canvas, depicting the captain seated before a window and holding a telescope, 27 x 21 3/4 in., housed in likely original gilt and grain-painted molded wood frame. Condition: Minor retouch. Note: George G. Hartwell was one of the Prior-Hamblin group of painters. He painted signs and portraits in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and Auburn, Maine.
Skinner
Aug. 05, 2006
GEORGE HARTWELL (1815-1901). PORTRAIT OF BOY SEATED IN SCROLL-BACK CHAIR, BENEATH DOUBLE SWAG DRAPERY.
Est: -
Oil on canvas, 27 1/4 x 22 inches. Northeast Auctions sold a Hartwell of a young woman in a scroll back char, March 2003, lot 533.
Bourgeault-Horan Antiquarians
Jan. 22, 2005
* GEORGE HARTWELL (1815-1901)
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
painted in New England circa 1840; signed verso Anna M. Wilcox; in the original grain-painted frame. oil on academy board
Sotheby's
Jan. 20, 2005
GEORGE HARTWELL (1815-1901), CIRCA 1840
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Pair of Portraits of a Gentleman and a Lady Each backboard bearing jelly labels inscribed Pair of portraits by Geo. G. Hartwell, 1815-1901, see signed examples at Fruitlands Collection, Harvard, MA oil on canvas, the gentleman; oil on cardboard, the lady 14 x 10 1/8 in. each each lined with pages from the April 24, 1871 issue of Boston Daily Journal
Christie's