Provenance

Art House, Inc.

active 1891 - 1931

Explore selected works

Gilbert Stuart, Anna Maria Brodeau Thornton (Mrs. William Thornton), 1804, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1942.8.26

Anna Maria Brodeau Thornton (Mrs. William Thornton)

Gilbert Stuart · 1804 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1942.8.26

A light-skinned man, woman, boy, and girl, and a brown-skinned man sit and stand around a table spread with papers and a map in this horizontal portrait. The light-skinned man sits on a red upholstered chair at the table to our left, and his body faces our right in profile. His legs are crossed, and he rests his right elbow, closer to us, on the back of the chair. He has a sloping, rounded nose, dark eyes, jowls along his jawline, and his closed mouth juts forward. His left arm rests on an open pamphlet on the table next to a sword with a delicate silver hilt. To our left, the young boy stands also looks to our right in profile, next to the older man's chair. The boy wears a dusky rose-pink suit with a white lacy collar. With his right hand, he pulls back a dark green cloth covering a globe on a wooden stand along the left edge of the canvas. The woman sits at the right side of the table, across from the man. She has dark eyes, full cheeks, a double chin, and her pale lips are closed. She wears a voluminous ivory satin gown and petticoat with a black lace shawl, and an ivory cap with a satin bow covers her gray hair. She points to a spot on a map on the table with a closed fan held in her right hand. The young girl, wearing a gauzy white dress with a pine-green sash at the waist, stands on the far side of the table near the woman, holding the curling edges of the map. Behind the women, the brown-skinned man wears a rust-orange and gray uniform, and stands with one hand tucked into his vest in the shadows at the edge of the composition. His features are indistinct but he faces our left in profile. The room has a gold-and-yellow checkerboard floor, and a red cloth drapes from columns frame the scene to each side. It is unclear whether a river view at the back of the room is seen through an open window or door, or if it is a large painting behind the people.
Edward Savage, The Washington Family, 1789-1796, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1940.1.2

The Washington Family

Edward Savage · 1789-1796 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1940.1.2

This painting is a portrait of a seated man. His body is facing the right with his head turned to us, a neutral expression on his face. The man has pale skin, rosy cheeks, bright blue eyes, thin lips, and gray hair that curls around his ears. He is dressed formally in a dark red coat with gold buttons and a white cravat at his neck, sitting in a red upholstered chair, holding a book in his right hand. The background consists of red drapery on one side and blue and yellow hues on the other, suggesting a cloudy sky.
Gilbert Stuart, William Thornton, 1804, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1942.8.25

William Thornton

Gilbert Stuart · 1804 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1942.8.25

Shown from the waist up, a pale-skinned woman wearing a satin or silk shell-pink gown and a greenish-yellow cloak looks at us, slightly smiling, through an oval opening in this vertical portrait painting. Her shoulders angle slightly to our left, and her oval-shaped face turns slightly to the right. She cuts her dark gray eyes cut to the side to look at us from under arched brows. Her nose drops a little at the end, and her thin, pink lips are closed. Her dark brown hair is pulled up and woven with dark pearls reaching back from the temples. Curls fall down her back, and one rests over her left shoulder, to our right. The tightly fitting bodice has low curved neckline lined with lace. Short sleeves embellished with pewter-gray buttons or bosses overlap longer white sleeves. The bodice is open down the front to show the white undergarment and is tied with two pale yellow bows, one over the other. The cloak falls heavily in deep folds from her shoulders and is held in place with a strip of fabric lined at intervals with pairs of dark silver beads. The ribbon is affixed to the cloak with a red brooch at the woman’s right shoulder, to our left, and it stretches down and across her body. She stands in front of a dark blue, cloudy sky. The painted frame through which she looks is camel brown. The artist signed the front-facing, beveled edge of the oval frame: “I.S. Copley. Pinx. 1756.”
John Singleton Copley, Jane Browne, 1756, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1942.8.2

Jane Browne

John Singleton Copley · 1756 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1942.8.2

The image depicts a portrait of a man's upper body, from the waist up. He is slightly angled to the left, with his gaze forward. The man has fair skin and a calm expression. His white hair is styled in 18th-century curls. He wears a military uniform with a black undershirt, white waistcoat, and red outer coat with gold details. A black cravat is around his neck. His right hand is inside his coat. The background is a plain, muted brown color.
Joseph Blackburn, A Military Officer, 1756, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1947.17.25

A Military Officer

Joseph Blackburn · 1756 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1947.17.25

The image displays a painted portrait of an individual, showing the upper half of the body prominently. The person is positioned facing slightly toward the viewer's left with their gaze directed forward. They have defined facial features with a smooth complexion and medium-length, curly brown hair that frames their face. The attire consists of an elegant coat with distinct buttons and a high-collared shirt underneath. There is a subtle shine and texture to the clothing. There are no visible jewelry pieces, and the person is not holding any objects. The background is a dark, neutral color, contrasting with the lighter tones of the person's skin and clothing.
John Wollaston, A Gentleman of the Morris Family, 1749/1752, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1942.8.41

A Gentleman of the Morris Family

John Wollaston · 1749/1752 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1942.8.41

The image is a portrait showing the upper half of a man's body. He is positioned facing slightly to his left while looking directly at the viewer. The man has a fair complexion with soft facial features, including clear eyes and a slight smile. His hair is dark, wavy, and styled with a gentle wave atop his head. He is dressed in a formal black coat over a white shirt, featuring a high collar. The background of the image is a dark, solid color. No jewelry or objects are visible in the painting.
Chester Harding, Self-Portrait, c. 1825, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1947.17.54

Self-Portrait

Chester Harding · c. 1825 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1947.17.54

John Wollaston, Mary Walton Morris, 1749/1752, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1942.8.40

Mary Walton Morris

John Wollaston · 1749/1752 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1942.8.40

Bibliography

1970

  • Towner, Wesley. The Elegant Auctioneers. New York, 1970: 149-151.