Who is the person behind the portrait? Coming April 22, William King Museum of Art presents a survey of 18th – 19th century paintings titled A Painting Tradition. This exhibition looks at the importance of the portrait and the figure in Europe and America. From military portraits and members of the aristocracy, to the working class and beloved horses, it explores the various styles of portrait and figure painting that were prevalent from the Georgian to Victorian periods in Europe and through the Early and Revolutionary periods in America.
Portrait of Mrs. Bartlett Goodrich
(née Mary Wilson)
1792, Oil on canvas
Mather Brown (American, 1761-1831)
In addition to a survey of the figure in painting, A Painting Tradition will include study paintings and sketchbooks to examine the ways that artists studied painting and developed their techniques. Learn about the people behind the portraits through a look at the lives of the artists and the sitters, along with the historical events that drove the production of portraits.
This exhibition is organized by William King Museum of Art from private collections and sponsored by The Bank of Marion with additional support from The Rea Charitable Trust. A Painting Tradition will be on display in the United Company-LeGard Galleries from April 22 to Sept. 19.
The portrait of Mrs. Bartlett Goodrich was painted in 1792 by American artist Mather Brown, who was a friend of the Goodrich family, evidenced by a supporting document written in 1842 by the son-in-law of the sitter. The document also reveals that the painting had a favorable position in the home for many years, as Mrs. Goodrich, the mother of 12 children, was much loved. Mary Wilson married Bartlett Goodrich in the State of New York on Oct. 7, 1778, before the young couple left America to live in England. Bartlett Goodrich came from a family that had been living in America for more than a century before the Declaration of Independence, and he was based in Virginia at the dawn of the Revolution. At first a patriot, Bartlett took up the Loyalist cause and became a privateer and blockade runner. He was imprisoned in Virginia for 18 months before he made his way to New York with his brother, John, and they began privateering again. It is during this period that he met his future wife.
Bartlett and Mary had a house on Queen Square in London and a manor house in Shropshire before moving to Saling Grove, Essex, where this portrait was painted. Mather Brown had already enjoyed a successful career as a portrait artist in America, where he had completed portraits of important figures. In Boston, he studied with Gilbert Stuart and John Singleton Copley, before eventually moving to England in 1781. He was introduced to Benjamin West, a leading historical painter in England, by Benjamin Franklin, and West helped to promote his work. In 1782, Brown became the first American student to enroll in the Royal Academy. His success brought him the notable commissions of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and eventually the Royal family. His portrait of Mary Goodrich stems from his most productive and financially successful period, 1785-1795.
For more information about the exhibition, and to schedule a tour, visit williamkingmuseum.org or call (276) 628 5005 x113.
