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Painted Highboy by Linda Wexler & Don Dube


Wm. R. Robertson

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This was the piece Linda painted for herself. As I recall Linda Wexler was painting on cheaper furniture around 1979 when Don Dube saw her work and said he could supply better furniture for her to paint, from there a romance started and they married sometime in the mid '80s. They worked together for some time and taught at Castine. By the late '80s they broke up (I heard it was due to a large age difference). Linda went on to teach art in New York somewhere and sold this piece which she had so cherished and had proudly shown as an example of her finest work. It was bought from Linda and sent to Don for a minor repair in 1988. It is signed Dube by his stamp on the bottom, it appears Linda did not sign it as she did it for herself and knew it was hers (crazy artists?).  It is similar to full size examples at Winterthur and Bayou Bend.  One very interesting feature is the ball and claw feet,  the front feet lack a back talon, it is instead placed on the front side of the back feet and highlighted in gold. I think I have seen this feature in a piece at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The chest is painted with layers of gessoed figures in gold leaf over a tortoise shell base finish. The molding and legs are wonderfully detailed. The  finials and shell carving are water gilded gold (from Wikipedia, Traditional water gilding is the most difficult and highly regarded form of gold leafing). with traces of red bole showing as it should be. This very well may be her best piece as the quality of the painting seems more detailed than much of her other work.

 

Also Linda and Don were among the earliest members of the IGMA.

 

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What an exquisite piece! And a prime example of something you need to see in real to totally appreciate. I think the gilded relief will just 'pop' and blow you away?

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I have to laugh - "paint my furniture" as a pick-up line!  But in all seriousness, this is fabulous piece.  I am in awe over the detail in the painting.

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What a great story. Having come to the Guild later, I had not heard of either of them. Fabulous piece, where is it now, do we know?

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It is my collection, looks really great in the drawing room of Twin Manors!

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

What a stunning piece!  It is the first miniature chinoiserie piece of furniture I have seen that I really liked.  How lucky you are to be the owner of this Bill!

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