Provenance

Mrs. Winthrop Murray Crane

Boardman, Josephine Porter

American, 1873 - 1972

Explore selected works

See all 28 works of art
The image shows a man in profile facing left within an oval frame. He has long, wavy dark hair, a prominent nose, and a slight mustache. He wears a dark coat, a high-collared lace shirt, and a red bow tie. The frame around the portrait is ornate, with decorative elements like flowers and scrolls. Below the oval frame, there is a scene of a man reaching towards a woman, set in a room with a child present. The background resembles a carved stone plaque with additional decorative elements.
Pierre-Michel Alix, J. B. Poquelin de Molière, 1796, color wash manner, Gift of Mrs. W. Murray Crane, 1954.16.1

J. B. Poquelin de Molière

Pierre-Michel Alix · 1796 · color wash manner ·  Accession ID  1954.16.1

The image depicts a portrait of a man from the chest up. He is positioned facing slightly to the left, with a direct, level gaze. The man has a distinguished face with a prominent forehead and a gentle expression. His hair is long and gray, curling slightly around the shoulders. He is wearing a red-brown coat with a fur-trimmed collar and a white cravat peeking from underneath. The background is a neutral dark tone, with an oval border framing the portrait against a lighter rectangle that fills the rest of the image. There is text below the image identifying the person as Benjamin Franklin, with additional text in a decorative script style.
Joseph Siffred Duplessis, Jean-François Janinet, Benjamin Franklin, 1789, color aquatint, Gift of Mrs. W. Murray Crane, 1955.4.19

Benjamin Franklin

Joseph Siffred Duplessis, Jean-François Janinet · 1789 · color aquatint ·  Accession ID  1955.4.19

The image shows an upper-body portrait of a woman with dark hair and a green fabric draped over her shoulders. She is turned slightly to her left and looking off into the distance. She wears an empire-style gown with a detailed pattern of white, silver, and golden colors with pleats and star motifs. A thin headband with a golden design is on her head, and she wears delicate drop earrings. The background is a dark, muted brown with swirling patterns.
Michele Bisi, Princess Auguste Amelie of Bavaria, color -, Gift of Mrs. W. Murray Crane, 1955.4.13

Princess Auguste Amelie of Bavaria

Michele Bisi · · color - ·  Accession ID  1955.4.13

The image shows a man and a woman positioned at the center. The man stands holding a staff and wearing a hat, coat, and knee-length pants. The woman stands next to him with her head tilted upwards and wearing an elegant gown. The background features decorative scrolls, foliage, and a basket of flowers. The scene is embellished with luxurious patterns and ornate details.
Pierre-Alexandre Aveline, Shepherd and Shepherdess (?), etching, Gift of Mrs. W. Murray Crane, 1955.4.5

Shepherd and Shepherdess (?)

Pierre-Alexandre Aveline · · etching ·  Accession ID  1955.4.5

The image shows a portrait of a man depicted from the chest up. He is positioned slightly turned to his right, facing the viewer with a slight smile. The man has long, slightly wavy gray hair and is dressed in formal attire with a pink jacket, a white ruffled cravat, and a golden collar. He is surrounded by an ornate oval frame with laurel branches on either side. Below the portrait are three decorative panels with classical figures and inscriptions on scrolls. The background is a muted tan color with a rectangular border.
Pierre-Michel Alix, F.M. Arouet de Voltaire, 1796, color wash manner, Gift of Mrs. W. Murray Crane, 1954.16.2

F.M. Arouet de Voltaire

Pierre-Michel Alix · 1796 · color wash manner ·  Accession ID  1954.16.2

This is a photograph of a decorative lidded porcelain vase with blue and white patterns. The vase has an intricate floral design painted in shades of blue against a white background. The body of the vase tapers down to a narrow base and is topped with a fitted lid that has a small finial at the top. The patterns consist of floral motifs interspersed with small dotted designs. The blue used is a deep cobalt shade commonly associated with traditional Chinese porcelain.
Chinese Qing Dynasty, Blue and White Jar with Cover, 18th century, Gift of Mrs. W. Murray Crane, 1955.14.1

Blue and White Jar with Cover

Chinese Qing Dynasty · 18th century · ·  Accession ID  1955.14.1

The image shows a person in a dynamic stance, with one knee bent. They have a fair complexion, layered hair, and wear a military-style uniform with a tall hat adorned with a plume. They hold a sword and are near a cannon. In the background, there are fabric drapes and a horse's head.
John Raphael Smith, Lt. Colonel Tarleton, published 1782, color mezzotint, Gift of Mrs. W. Murray Crane, 1955.4.23

Lt. Colonel Tarleton

John Raphael Smith · published 1782 · color mezzotint ·  Accession ID  1955.4.23

The image is a portrait of a person from the waist up, facing three-quarters to the right. The person has a stern expression and distinct facial features. They have medium length straight hair styled neatly and are dressed in a dark blue military-style coat with gold embroidery. There is a red fabric lining at the collar and cuffs, and they are wearing a light-colored glove on their right hand. The background has a brown textured pattern in an oval frame, against a muted marble-like design.
Pierre-Michel Alix, Le Général Buonaparte (Napoleon as General of the Italian Army), 1798, color wash manner, Gift of Mrs. W. Murray Crane, 1955.4.15

Le Général Buonaparte (Napoleon as General of the Italian Army)

Pierre-Michel Alix · 1798 · color wash manner ·  Accession ID  1955.4.15

The image shows an upper body depiction of a man in a formal, military portrait. He is facing slightly to the right, while his head is turned towards the left. The man has a pronounced jawline with sideburns and curly, dark hair styled with volume. He is dressed in an ornate military uniform, featuring a prominent blue coat with gold epaulettes, a red sash draped diagonally across his chest, and a decorative star emblem on the left breast. A golden rope accentuates his waist. He wears a high-collared shirt beneath the coat. The background is subtle, with a soft gradient transitioning from darker to lighter shades, without any prominent features. The bottom of the image contains text identifying the person as JOACHIM-NAPOLÉON, ROI DE NAPLES ET DE SICILE, with a detailed crest centered below.
Louis Charles Ruotte, Joachim Murat (Joachim-Napoleon, Roi de Naples et de Sicile, Grand-Admiral de France), color aquatint with hand coloring, Gift of Mrs. W. Murray Crane, 1955.4.9

Joachim Murat (Joachim-Napoleon, Roi de Naples et de Sicile, Grand-Admiral de France)

Louis Charles Ruotte · · color aquatint with hand coloring ·  Accession ID  1955.4.9

A pale-skinned man wearing a white waistcoat, navy-blue coat with tails, knee-length britches, and white stockings stands in front of a deep landscape in this vertical portrait painting. The man nearly fills the right half of the composition. He stands with one ankle crossed in front of the other and his body angled to our left. He looks out at us with brown eyes under wide, dark gray brows. He has a round face with a wide jaw, a straight nose, and his thin, pale pink lips are closed. His gray hair is brushed back from his forehead and sweeps down over his ears. A white cravat is tied in a bow around his neck under a cream-white waistcoat, which is trimmed with pale peach and has two rows of peach buttons down the front. The jacket has gold-colored buttons, and translucent, ruffled cuffs flare out at the wrists. A fob hangs from his parchment-white pants, which are fastened with an oval-shaped, diamond-encrusted buckle on the outside of the knee facing us. His stockings are pearl white, and his black shoes have square silver buckles. He holds a black hat in his left hand, to our right, and his other hand rests on the end of a waist-high wooden walking stick, which angles out to our left where the brass end is braced against the ground. A brown form behind him and to the right could be a column, edge of a building, or a tree trunk. A thick trunk angles out on the far side of his head, and a smaller tree grows up the left side of the composition. Grassy fields reach back to a winding river and a town with a church spire, manor house, and other buildings tucked among hills. Lavender-gray clouds press in to either side of a sunset sky lit pale pink at the center. The artist signed and dated the painting in the lower left corner, "R. Earl Pinxt 1789.”
Ralph Earl, Daniel Boardman, 1789, oil on canvas, Gift of Mrs. W. Murray Crane, 1948.8.1

Daniel Boardman

Ralph Earl · 1789 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1948.8.1

Bibliography

1926

  • Griffin, Solomon Bukley. W. Murray Crane: A Man and Brother. Boston, 1926.

1972

  • The New York Times (9 July 1972): 51 [obituary].

1977

  • National Cyclopedia of American Biography, Clifton, NJ, 1977:57:720