Lot 2

Napoleon Sarony, Portrait of Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde. 1882.

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Napoleon Sarony, Portrait of Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde. 1882.

Estimate: $3,000 - $4,500

Starting Bid: $2,200

(0 Bids)

by Swann Auction Galleries
August 13, 2026 10:30 AM EDT
Live Auction
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY, US 10010

Napoleon Sarony
1821-1896
Portrait of Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). 1882.
Albumen print
With Sarony's printed credit, date, copyright, address, and Wilde's credit on mount recto, and the sitter's name and additional notations in ink and the collector Henry Y. Porter's stamp on mount verso.

In this pose, one of twenty-nine known images captured by Sarony in 1882 and three in 1883, Wilde wears knee-breeches, silk stockings, and patent leather slippers to "be used in the drawing-room." The bows visible on the slippers were unconventional for the time.

  • Dimensions: The image 5 5/8 x 4 in. (14.3 x 10.2 cm.), the cabinet card mount 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 in. (16.5 x 10.8 cm.)
  • Medium: Albumen print
  • Notes:
    Henry Y. Porter, an accountant for the university, bequeathed a vast collection of photographs, prints, and engravings to Tufts University in 1986. The 15,000 works focused on prominent figures in music, theatre, cinema, opera, and politics from the 19th and 20th centuries, and many were inscribed or autographed.
  • Condition: Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $149 $10
$150 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $5,999 $200
$6,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 + $50,000