The Art of
Annie Letcher King Isaacs
There are no records indicating she ever sold her art work but family stories indicate that she was a prolific artist and gave her most of her paintings away. The following photos of her art are the only surviving pieces that we know of. They were gathered up by my mother after Annie's death. If, by chance, you have an identifiable piece of art work produced by my great grandmother, Please contact me. I would like to add it to this page about Annie Letcher King Isaacs.
During the time frame that Annie lived, modern color photographs had not been invented. To have a color photograph for your wall, one had to either hire an artist to hand color the photo or hand color the photo themselves. Annie did her own coloring. The following photographs were hand colored portraits that were first printed in black and white. She chose this particular portrait to hand color. The photography was probably done in the mid 1880's. I do not know when she added the color. However, one thing is for certain, hand colored photos do not loose their color like modern color photos!
This hand colored photo by Annie is a picture of my mother, Annabeth, probably around 1930, when she was about 8 years old
The last hand colored portrait that the Clarkson family owns is another portrait that Annie hand colored. This one is Annie, probably made in the 1930's, several years after her husband, Leonard, had passed away
Boy Going Fishing
Lucy Hill Patterson Memorial Library
Rockdale, Texas
This painting was discovered quite by accident. I visited Rockdale to visit the Isaacs Family graves in two different cemeteries. I made a stop at the town library. While we were discussing the location of the old Isaacs Cemetery, which was on what used to be Abraham Isaacs land, I mentioned that Annie was a very talented artist and produced many oil painting. The library directed left and when she returned she was carrying this painting. She said she had been told it was painted by Annie but had not really looked for a signature. We held it up with a slight tilt and in the bottom right hand corner were Annie's initials AKI and an unreadable date. On the bottom of the painting was a title: Boy Going Fishing. The library had kept the painting on display until the pieces of the frames started falling off and they took it down to see about having the frame repaired. It is my belief that Annie used her step son, Leonard B. Isaacs, as the model for this painting.
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The following paintings and drawings are owned by Wiley and Linda Clarkson
Charcoal drawing of
Ann Matilda Bozeman Letcher
This 16x20 charcoal drawing was found in my mother's stored items in May of 2015. We did not realize that this was an Annie Isaacs drawing until we took the frame apart and realized it was an original piece of charcoal art work. Unfortunately, there is no identifying marks or writing on the back to prove who this drawing is and no existing photos or oil portraits. We believe this is an enlarged portrait of Annie's grandmother, Ann Matilda Bozeman Letcher, that was probably made from a small painting or photograph that no longer exists. Ann Matilda lived with Leonard and Annie for the final years of her life. The resemblance between this young woman and Annie is amazing but the slight facial differences and the dress and broach are not "Annie" and point to the portrait being Ann Bozeman. Although it has facial characteristics common to both Annie and her mother, Mary Elizabeth "Bettie" Letcher King, (also my mother and my oldest daughter) it does not resemble Annie's mother enough to be Bettie Letcher, Annie's mother. Myself, and another Letcher descendant, believe this is Ann Matilda Bozeman, Annie's grandmother.
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The following is another pencil or charcole drawing that was done by Annie. I found it about a week ago (today is 01/16/2017) in my mother's house pushed up into the top of a closet. Lack of knowledge about who this is has resulted in poor treatment and damage. I have consulted with other relatives about who this drawing is and we do not agree. However, there is a huge amount of resemblance in this drawing to a photo on the previous page about the Isaacs Family. I believe this drawing is of Elizabeth Winston King, the wife of Frank Bozeman King, Annie's brother.
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This oil painting is the only painting I have seen that appears to have been painted using a pallet knife or some form of very small flat blade
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The following painting has no title. My daughter discovered this painting a week ago (July 1, 2017), which I believe is a pastel chalk drawing, in a bag of knitting supplies stuck in a closet.
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I was told by a relative I have never had the opportunity to meet that this painting is a stylized picture of his grandmother's backyard in Rockdale. Annie did not title this piece of art.
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This oil painting is owned by Sarah Clarkson, Monument, Co. Like most of the paintings that my mother held onto, it has no title. It was apparently inspired by Spring time country scenes around Rockdale.
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The following oil painting is owned by Tess Hibler of Houston, TX
This is a picture of Ann Winston King at six months old that was painted from a photo.
