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Portrait of a Man

Unknown Artist/Makerc. 1750

The Jewish Museum, New York

The Jewish Museum, New York
New York, United States

*Note that scholarship and research relating to this work is ongoing. Information on our website may be updated as necessary.

This painting and the Portrait of a Woman (F 4922b) entered the collection more than fifty years ago, as portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Judah and Jocahabed Mears, and were attributed to the Charleston based painter, Jeremiah Theus (1719-1774). Recent investigation indicates that on the basis of style the portraits probably date to the middle of the eighteenth century and are possibly from the hand of an English or Scottish artist--but not Jeremiah Theus. In the absence of historical records from the period, scholars now believe that a firm attribution to any artist will be difficult to establish. Lack of provenance leaves the identity of the sitters equally difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain.
The works have also been reconsidered in light of recent research into the market for early American pictures. It is now well documented that during the twentieth century, examples of British portraiture were often provided with elaborate and misleading provenances, to cater to the desire for portraits of notable sitters by recognizable American artists from the Colonial and Federal era. During the early part of the last century, these two paintings passed through the hands of the Boston restorer and dealer, Frank Bayley. Bayley is known to have "created" attributions and identities for pictures in order to enhance their value.* It seems probable, in the current state of research, that these portraits may have been subject to misidentification.

*Richard H. Saunders, "The Eighteenth-Century Portrait in American Culture of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries." In Miles, Ellen G. ed. THE PORTRAIT IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY AMERICA. London: Associated University Presses and University of Delaware Press, 1993, pp. 138-152.

Details

  • Title: Portrait of a Man
  • Creator: Unknown Artist/Maker
  • Date Created: c. 1750
  • Location: England, Europe, United States, North and Central America
  • Physical Dimensions: 30 3/8 × 25 1/4 in. (77.2 × 64.1 cm)
  • Type: Paintings
  • Rights: https://thejewishmuseum.org/about-this-site#terms-conditions
  • External Link: View this object at thejewishmuseum.org
  • Medium: Oil on canvas

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