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Catalog Data

Attributed to:
Ralph Earl, born Worcester County, MA 1751-died Bolton, CT 1801  Search this
Sitter:
unidentified  Search this
Medium:
oil on wood
Dimensions:
10 1/4 x 7 7/8 in. (26.1 x 20.1 cm) oval
Type:
Painting
Date:
ca. 1800
Luce Center Label:
Ralph Earl was born into a prominent family of craftsmen, and his portraits are painted with sharp attention to detail. In this painting the subject sits in a Sheraton “fancy” armchair, a type that was especially popular in the Connecticut Valley, where Earl worked. The wooden clock on the tea table might be a kind of clock that was developed in that region for mass production. The clock and books are emblems of the subject’s skill and education, which have earned him a respectable and influential position in society. Earl also portrayed the clockmaker’s wife, and the two portraits were meant to be shown together as pendants.
Topic:
Portrait male  Search this
Cityscape\Connecticut  Search this
Occupation\craft\clockmaker  Search this
Credit Line:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Orrin Wickersham June
Object number:
1967.136.2
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department:
Painting and Sculpture
On View:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 1B
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor
Data Source:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7a82f8d07-e28d-4c9c-8e6c-bc90122df26d
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:saam_1967.136.2