Friday 18 November 2016

American Folk Art - part 12

Continuing a major series on American Folk Art featuring 21 postings. Folk Art encompasses art produced by artists and ordinary folk with little or no training in the arts, and is traditionally utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic. The period I’m covering is the C18th and C19th.
See parts 1-11 also for earlier works.

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This is part 12 of a 21-part post on American Folk Art:


Deacon Robert Peckham (1785-1877)

Deacon Robert Peckham

Peckham began his artistic career as an ornamental and sign painter. With only a few months training in portraiture, he carved out a long and successful career as a portrait artist. He lived and worked in Westminster, Massachusetts, and produced numerous vivid likenesses - more than 50 are attributed to him - of people from the town and nearby centres.  


1817c The Peckham-Sawyer Family
oil on canvas 67.6 x 82.5 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

1819 Portrait of Betsey Baker Thurston Davis
oil on panel 67.9 x 57.1 cm

1830c Portrait of a Young Child in a White Dress and Red Shoes with Peach and Dog
pastel on paper 63.5 x 52.1 cm

1838c The Raymond Children
oil on canvas 140.3 x 99 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

1839 Portrait of Phebe Brown inscribed "Mrs. Phebe Brown Age 44 years 1839 Now the wife of Prescott Esq. R. Peckam"
 oil on canvas 76.2 x 62.9 cm

1840c ( attributed to ) Portrait of Rosa Heywood
oil on canvas 113 x 74.3 cm

1840c The Hobby Horse
oil on canvas 103.5 x 101.6 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

1841 ( attributed to ) The Farwell Children
oil on canvas 133.4 x 100.4 cm

n.d. ( attributed to ) Portrait of a Boy
oil on canvas 59.7 x 55.9 cm

n.d. Portrait of Charles A. Norton
oil on canvas 59 x 48.9 cm

n.d. Portrait of Sally Puffer Sanderson



Sheldon Peck (1797-1868)

Sheldon Peck

Sheldon Peck (August 26, 1797 - March 19, 1869) was a folk artist, abolitonist, and social activist as well as an advocate for temperance, women’s rights, racial equality, public education, and pacifism. Peck’s portraiture – with its distinctive style - is a prime example of 19th century American folk art. While working as an artist, Peck was a conductor on the underground railway.

Peck was born in Cornwall, Vermont, the ninth son of Jacob and Elizabeth Peck. Peck's ancestors were among the founders of New Haven Colony; his father worked as a blacksmith and served as a private in the Revolutionary War.

No records exist to indicate that Peck received any formal art education. His work may have been influenced by William Jennys, a primitive portrait painter who was active in Vermont around the time Peck lived there. Peck also would have had access to art instruction texts that were housed in the library of the Cornwall Young Gentleman’s Society.

1820-25 Mrs. Murry
oil on panel 70.5 x 57.5 cm
Flint Institute of Arts, MI

1820-25c Mr. Murry
oil on panel 69.2 x 55.6 cm
Flint Institute of Arts, MI

1820-28c ( attributed to ) Portrait of a Man ( Possibly Member of the Van Vechten Family )
oil on wood panel 32.1 x 26.3 cm
Folk Art Museum, New York City

1820-28c ( attributed to ) Portrait of a Woman ( Possibly Member of the Van Vechten Family )
oil on wood panel 32.1 x 26.3 cm
Folk Art Museum, New York City

1820c ( attributed to ) John Jackson
oil on wood panel 54.6 x 38.7 cm
Folk Art Museum, New York City

1820c ( attributed to ) Nancy G. Jackson
oil on wood panel 54.6 x 38.7 cm
Folk Art Museum, New York City

1825 Portrait of a Woman

1825c Elizabeth Ann Ferris Preston

1825c Portrait of a Child in White Dress Holding a Rose
oil on panel 61 x 49.5 cm

1825c Young Girl in Blue Dress Holding an Egg

1830c Girl with a Rose

1837c William W. Welch inscribed "Wm. W, Welch Born A.D. 1777"

1845 The John G. Wagner Family
oil on canvas 85.1 x 105.4 cm
Aurura Historical Museum, IL

1845c Anna Gould Crane and Granddaughter Janette
oil on canvas 90.2 x 115.6 cm
Folk Art Museum, New York City

1845c David and Catherine Stolp Crane
oil on canvas 90.6 x 110.8 cm
Folk Art Museum, New York City

Ellis J. Pratt "Born Aug the 21 1828"

n.d. Phebe Welch inscribed "Phebe Welch Born AD 1793"

n.d. Portrait of a Gentleman
oil on panel 68.6 x 55.9 cm

n.d. Portrait of a Girl

n.d. Portrait of a Man
oil on canvas 63.5 x 55.9 cm

n.d. Portrait of a Woman
oil on canvas 63.5 x 55.9 cm

n.d. Portrait of Miss Dodge

n.d. Samuel and Eunice Judkins of Ulster County, New York
oil on panel 56.5 x 76.8 cm

n.d. Woman Holding a Book


Joseph H. Davis (active 1832–1837) 

Jospeph H. Davis was an itinerant American portrait painter. Over a period of only five years, from 1832–37, Davis painted about 150 watercolour portraits of residents of Maine and New Hampshire. The body of work he left behind is highly regarded for its calligraphic line, miniaturising delicacy, and decorative stylisation. His pictures are in many important collections, including those of the American Folk Art Museum, New York; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.


1822 inscribed "Charles Bartlett, Roberts. Born May 21st 1822. - Painted at the Age of 13 years"
pencil and watercolour on paper 19.1 x 15.9 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

1833 inscribed "Achsah Stanton. Aged 18 years 1833"
pencil and watercolour on paper 25.1 x 19.7 cm
Museum of FIne Arts, Boston, MA

1834 inscribed "Samuel G. Vickery. Age 59 Years. 1834
Mary Vickery. Age 51 Years. 1834"
pen and ink and watercolour on paper

1835 inscribed "Elizabeth A. Fall. Aged 21 years. 1835"
pencil and watercolour on paper 25.9 x 17.9 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

1835 inscribed "Joseph C. Wentworth. Aged 33 Years. and 10 months 1835 - Tryphena B. Wentworth. Aged 33 and 4 months 1835"
watercolour 36.8 x 44.4 cm

1835 inscribed "Susan Elizabeth Wentworth. AGE. 3 Years and 6 months 1835"
watercolour 17.1 x 14.6 cm

1836 inscribed " John Montgomery. Aged 36 March 6th
Abigail Montgomery Aged 52 Septem' 26th"
pen and ink and watercolour on paper 22.2 x 35.3 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

1836 inscribed "Alfred Tailor. Aged 24 Years. July 5 1836
Sally S. Tailor. Aged 20 Years. June 27 -"
pen and ink and watercolour

1836 inscribed "Everett Caverly. Aged 11 Years, Octr 31st 1836.
 Jhn Hoit Caverly, Aged 8 Years. Octbr 17th 1836"
20.6 x 30.6 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

1836 inscribed "John P. Demeritt. Aged 32 Feby 26, 1836"
pen and ink, pencil and watercolour on paper 24.6 x 27.9 cm

1836 inscribed "Sylvanus C. Foss. Painted at the age of 19
Mary Jane Foss. Painted at the age of 25. May 6 1836"
watercolour, pencil and ink on paper 27.3 x 38.1 cm
American Folk Art Museum, New York City

1837 inscribed "Betsey Dowst. Aged 69 Years. Aug 27th 1837"
 watercolour, ink and pencil on paper 35.9 x 30.5 cm
American Folk Art Museum, New York City

1837 inscrbed "Sewell Marden. Aged 43 Years, Septmbr 18th, 1837. Painted January 1837.
Sally Marden. Aged 43 Years, November 12th, 1837."
 watercolour, pencil and ink on paper 24.1 x 34.3 cm

1837 inscribed " Delia Varney. Aged 35, October 26. 1837. Painted July 8th 1837."
pencil and watercolour on paper 25.6 x 19.5 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

1837 inscribed "Andrew J. Wiggins Aged 21 years March 15 1837"
watercolour and ink on paper 24.1 x 19 cm

1837 inscribed "Catharine T. Dockum Aged 14 December 18th 1837"
watercolour and ink on paper 25.4 x 20.3 cm

1837 inscribed "David S. Glidden. Aged 16 Years December 23 1837"

1837 inscribed "Eunice E.C. Marden. Aged 6, Octbr 11th, 1837.
 Lurana G. Marden. Aged 2 Years, April 28th, 1837."
watercolour, pencil and ink on paper 17.9 x 22.9 cm

1837 inscribed "William Sumner Jordan/ Aged 3 May 26 1837"
 watercolour and ink on paper 14 x 9.5 cm

1865 inscribed "Mary Antoinette Lorania Pike.
Sarah Adeline Pike"
watercolour, pencil and ink on paper
American Folk Art Museum, New York City

n.d Man with a Top Hat
watercolour on paper 24.1 x 15.9 cm

n.d. ( attributed to ) Parlour Scene
watercolour and gouache on paper 24.1 x 51.4 cm

n.d. ( attributed to ) Woman and Child
watercolour on paper 24.8 x 27.9 cm

n.d. Family Group
pencil and watercolour on paper 24.8 x 41 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

n.d. Family Group with Child, Cat and Vase
pencil and watercolour on paper 27.9 x 42.7 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

n.d. Man with a Top Hat
watercolour on paper 29.4 x 24.1 cm

n.d. Portrait of John and Hannah Butler of Berwick, Maine
pen and ink, pencil and watercolour on paper 26 x 38.1 cm

n.d. Seated Couple
pencil and watercolour on paper 25.2 x 34.3 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

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