John G. Read

1833

Royall Brewster Smith

Associated Names
Royall Brewster Smith

Painter, American, 1801 - 1855

The image shows a man with fair complexion and light brown hair, depicted in a half-length portrait. He is seated, facing forward with a slight tilt to his left. The man has sharp eyebrows, deep-set eyes, a defined nose, and lips, creating a composed expression. He is dressed in a formal black coat over a white shirt with intricate ruffles, and holds a red book in his right hand. A red and gold textile is draped over the armrest of his chair. The background is solid green. Text on the left side of the image states "JOHN G. READ BORN NOV' 1, 1799 PAINTED OCT' 1833."

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Recorded as from New York. (Old Print Shop, New York), by whom sold in 1954 to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch; gift to NGA, 1978.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1981

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois, 1981-1982, no. 19 (cat. by Ronald McKnight Melvin).

1993

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, Savannah, Georgia, 1993.

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, 1993-1994.

1994

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), Heckscher Museum, Huntington, New York, 1994.

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), Louisiana Arts and Science Center, Baton Rouge, 1994-1995.

1995

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), Boise Art Museum, Idaho, 1995.

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), Pensacola Museum of Art, Florida, 1995.

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), McKissick Museum, Columbia, South Carolina, 1995.

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), St. John's Museum of Art, Wilmington, North Carolina, 1995-1996.

1996

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida, Gainseville, 1996-1997.

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, 1996.

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, California, 1996.

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), Maier Museum of Art, Randolph-Macon Woman's College, Lynchburg, Virginia, 1996.

1997

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, 1997.

1998

  • American Naive Paintings from the National Gallery of Art (NGA National Lending Service exhibition), Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, Connecticut, 1998.

2015

  • A Perfect Likeness: Folk Portraits and Early Photography, Fenimore Art Museum, New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown, 2015, no catalogue.

Bibliography

1980

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1980: 294, repro.

1988

  • Kern, Arthur, and Sybil Kern. "Painted by Royall B. Smith." The Clarion 13 (Spring 1988): 53, 55.

1992

  • Chotner, Deborah, with contributions by Julie Aronson, Sarah D. Cash, and Laurie Weitzenkorn. American Naive Paintings. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1992: 361, 364, color repro. 363.

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 339, repro.

Inscriptions

center left: JOHN G. READ / BORN NOV'1.1799 / PAINTED OCT'1833; lower left on book: USEFUL KNOWLEDGE

Wikidata ID

Q20185782

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