$6,325
Attributed to Benjamin Blyth (American, 1746-1811) Pair of Portraits of a Husband and Wife. Massachusetts, 1780s, the gentleman seen three-quarter length, wearing a buttoned jacket and blue vest, to his right is an inkwell and two quill pens; his wife wears a mob cap, beaded necklace, and white shawl over a blue dress, and is holding a book, pastel on paper, mounted on linen, 23 1/2 x 17 1/8 in., in original black painted and carved white pine frames. Condition: Laid down on canvas, some cockling, stretcher marks, and a minor stain. N.B. Benjamin Blyth, born in Salem, Massachusetts, was best known for his pastel portraits. Many of his sitters were from the North Shore, and included such well-known persons as Elias Hasket Derby and his family, and Samuel McIntire. He also painted John and Abigail Adams, then of Braintree, Massachusetts. In approximately 1781, he fled Salem for the South. This couple is believed to have lived in Warren, Massachusetts.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2001-06-10
