Colonel Nathan Beckwith
Ammi Phillips
American Art
On View: American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, Counterparts
This portrait depicts one half of a prominent couple from Dutchess Country. Nathan Beckwith was a land surveyor and his wife was the sister of Mary Lyon, founder of Mount Holyoke, the first American women's college. Their social status as rural gentry is suggested by their dignified posture and the attractive painted Federal-style chairs. Ammi Phillips was an itinerant painter who sought commissions in New York, western Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Apparently self-taught, he nevertheless modeled his images on the fashionable portrait conventions of the day. His style evolved from the simple forms and pastel colors of these early works to the large shapes and bold colors in the later portrait of Jeannette Woolley Storm.
MEDIUM
Oil on canvas
DATES
ca. 1817
DIMENSIONS
30 1/2 x 24 9/16 in. (77.4 x 62.4 cm)
frame: 34 3/4 x 28 3/4 x 3 3/8 in. (88.3 x 73 x 8.6 cm) (show scale)
SIGNATURE
Unsigned
INSCRIPTIONS
Inscribed on envelope, lower right: Col 1 Nathan Beckwith/ Redhook/ Dutches [sic] County"; with the postmark "Troy" and the number "10".
COLLECTIONS
American Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
79.133.2
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Mrs. Harold J. Roig
PROVENANCE
Ca 1817, commissioned from the artist by Nathan and Betsey Beckwith of Dutchess County, NY; 1865, inherited from Betsey Beckwith by William Sutherland Beckwith of Dutchess County; 1885, inherited from William Sutherland Beckwith by Leila Beckwith Havens (Mrs. Abraham Britton Havens) of Dutchess County; 1956, inherited from Leila Beckwith Havens by Gertrude Havens of Rhinebeck, NY; by 1972, inherited from Gertrude Havens by Henrietta Havens Roig (Mrs. Harold Joseph Roig) of New York, NY; October 17, 1979, gift of Henrietta Havens Roig to the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is on view in American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, Counterparts
CAPTION
Ammi Phillips (American, 1788â1865). Colonel Nathan Beckwith, ca. 1817. Oil on canvas, 30 1/2 x 24 9/16 in. (77.4 x 62.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Harold J. Roig, 79.133.2 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 79.133.2.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 79.133.2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2003
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