An oil painting of George Plater III, who served as governor of Maryland from 1791 to 1792, was the latest artwork to receive an NFT treatment.
The auction was made possible by the partnership of WiseKey (a cybersecurity company) and Creative Film Partners (a media firm).
Taylor Emery currently owns the physical oil painting, and he is also the great (x6) grand-nephew of Governor George Plater. Emery also serves as a principal of the Creative Film Partners.
The NFT auction will start from June 21 until July 4, 2021, and will be held virtually at WISe.Art NFT Marketplace.
Emery is enthusiastic about the auction and said: “This is a revolutionary idea for a painting of an American Revolutionary.”
A closer look at the painting
The portrait, which was painted by John Wollaston, is listed in the Catalog of American Portraits as part of the Smithsonian Institute’s National Portrait Gallery.
The NFT version, on the other hand, will be a medium-frame digital photograph of the original painting.
Aside from the NFT art, the winning bidder will also acquire detailed Tayloe family provenance information of the original painting. On top of that, a signed C. Taylor Crothers archival color print of the portrait will also be given to the winner.
The man behind the portrait
George Plater III served as the sixth Governor of Maryland from 1791 to 1792. Prior to that, he represented Maryland in the Continental Congress from 1778 to 1780. Plater is also a planter, lawyer, and statesman.
The upcoming NFT auction of another work of art is a historic moment for the world of blockchain technology.
WiseKey chief executive officer Carlos Moreira said they are “looking forward to auctioning off this incredible NFT of American Colonial history.”
Image courtesy of Cointelegraph News/YouTube