History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Part 49

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 992

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Another Frenchman, Pierre Henri, was a miniature- painter, who moved to Philadelphia from Richmond, Va., in the early part of this century. In 1811 he painted a portrait of Mrs. Beaumont in the character of " The Grecian Daughter." Charles Knight painted miniatures and taught drawing for several years after 1800. He came from England with a certificate from the Royal Academy of London. John Crawley, por- trait-painter, contributed to the Society of Artists, in 1811, two landscapes and a view near Norristown, with two portraits. In 1844 he painted " A View on Red Clay Creek." Crawley was born in England, during a visit paid to that country by his parents. His father was an Englishman, who had emigrated to America before the Revolution; his mother, a Miss Van Zandt, of New York. The boy John, after his parents' return, was sent to school at Newark, N. J. He studied art under Edward Savage, in New York, and Archibald Robertson. Crawley was a successful artist. He married, and left Philadelphia to settle in Norfolk, Va.

Pietro Ancora came from Rome in the year 1800. He taught drawing and painting, but never executed any pictures for exhibition in Philadelphia. He was the first who engaged in the importation of European paintings for exhibition and publie sale in this country. This business he commenced in 1819, in partnership with Charles Bell. Mr. Ancora lived for many years, always successful, and much esteemed as a teacher.

Miss Eliza Leslie, a sister of Charles R. Leslie, had some taste for painting. She exhibited a copy from Salvator Rosa of " Ruins with Banditti" in 1812. Not very long after this she gave up painting for literature, and became quite celebrated as a writer of fiction. A younger sister, Ann Leslie, took to paint- ing and drawing, and became noted for her work in Inter years. Joseph Wood came from New York in

1813, and painted miniatures for some years in Phila- delphia. Among his noted likenesses were portraits of Commodore Perry, Rufus King, Judge Bushrod Washington, and Gen. John Armstrong, from the originals; Maj .- Gen. Harrison, from the original, 1814; Col. Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky, 1817 ; and James Madison, 1818.

J. Exilius drew landscapes and local views. A "View from Flat Rock Bridge looking up the Sehuyl- kill River," "Conrad's Paper-mill on the Wissa- hickon," "Egglesfield, the seat of Richard Rundle" (1813), are among the works of this artist. Charles B. Laurence removed from Bordentown, N. J., to Philadelphia about 1813. He painted a portrait of Bishop Moore, of Virginia, in 1819; of M. Poletica, Minister from Russia, in 1822; a portrait of the Abbé Correa about 1822 or 1823; of Col. Allen McLane, of Wilmington, Del .; and Countess Charlotte de Sur- villiers in 1824. Laurence is represented to have studied with Stuart and Rembrandt Peale. He also painted some landscapes, which, Dunlap says, were without merit.

Bass Otis came to Philadelphia in 1811 or 1812. He executed several of the likenesses which were en- graved for the use of Delaplaine's "National Portrait Gallery." In the Academy of Fine Arts exhibi- tions he displayed portraits of James Madison, late President of the United States, Joseph Hopkinson, Commodore Truxton, Charles Thomson, Dr. Caspar Wistar (1817), Samuel Adams (copied from Copley), Thomas Jefferson (1818), the Washington family (1819), Bishop White, Gen. Arthur St. Clair, Gen. Wilkeson (1823), Rev. Dr. James P. Wilson (1824), Rev. Ezra Styles Ely (1825), Rev. J. J. Janeway (1825). Otis exhibited copies of Vernet's "Storm and Calm" in Vauxhall Garden in 1817. His " In- terior of a Foundry," which Dunlap says is a view of the scythe-maker's shop where Otis worked as an apprentice before he studied art, was first exhibited in 1819. Otis was the inventor of the perspective pro- tractor, an instrument which was offered to the public in 1815, and which received the commendation of Sully, Birch, Lawson, and other painters and engrav- ers. A. A. Vignier, a landscape-painter, exhibited in 1813 " A Storm," " A View in Switzerland" in 1819, and a "River Scene, Calm," in 1823.

Mrs. P. Barnes was a skillful painter of flowers and still life. She exhibited peaches in 1813, and in 1814 flowers. George Strickland, brother of William Strickland, painted at the age of seventeen years (1814) a scene from the " Lay of the Last Minstrel." He drew in sepia the designs to be engraved for " Childs' View of Philadelphia in 1825-26."

Benjamin H. Latrobe, the architect and engineer, had some taste for landscape drawing. He exhibited, in 1812, a "View of the River Schuylkill" and a " View of the Seat of Miers Fisher."

Beck sketched " A View of Mr. Hood's Place, near the Robin Hood Tavern, on the Ridge road ;"

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"The Woodlands, seat of William Hamilton ;" "View | Teller," a copy of Wilkie's "Rent Day," "Penn's on the Juniata, Pennsylvania ;" and three views on ' Treaty with the Indians," "The Soldier's Return" the Kentucky River, 1814. He sketched and drew (1819), and " The Reception of General Lafayette at the State-House" (1825). scenes in all parts of the country. Among them were "North River, near Wyhawk Ferry, N. Y .; " "View near Lexington, Ky.," and in other parts of that State.

John Robinson, an Englishman, came to Philadel- phia in 1817. He brought with him from London his own miniature of West, representing the picture of "Christ Rejected" in the background. He painted portraits of James Lyle, Mrs. Sterling, Nicholas Biddle | subsequently turned his attention to landscapes. He (1819), and Capt. Dallas, U.S.N. (1823). Dunlap says he was an artist of "some skill." Robinson was something of a critic. He wrote a long description of West's "Christ Healing the Sick," with remarks and criticisms which seemed sensible and reason- able.

John A. Woodside, the great sign-painter of his day, and the worthy successor of Pratt in that partic- ular line, was an artist of no ordinary merit. Hesent pictures of a tigress and a horse to the exhibition of the academy in 1817, and still-life paintings of apples, pears, peaches, and grapes in 1821. His frontispieces for hose-carriages, side and front and rear gallery paintings for fire-engines, were beautiful. He copied engravings in the best manner, and was a careful worker, finishing everything with great perfection. Hugh Bridport, a Londoner, who had studied at the Royal Academy with C. Wilkin, miniature-painter, came to Philadelphia in 1816. He was very successful from the start, being an excellent painter. He exhib- ited, in 1817, landscapes in water-colors, a " View of Hanbden Lake," the " Port of Snowdon and Cader Idris, from Balla Lake, in North Wales," and a por- trait of his brother, George Bridport. He afterward finished likenesses of Chief Justice Tilghman, Peter A. Browne, Joseph Hopkinson, and Bishop Henry Conwell, from Neagle's large portrait. In 1818 he joined John Haviland, architect, in the management of an evening school of architecture and drawing. His brother George, who had assisted him in this business previously, had retired in 1817.

Francis M. Drexel devoted himself principally to portrait-painting, but in 1818 he exhibited pictures entitled " Love," " A Magdalen," and "The Beggars," also heads of Homer, Diana, Caracalla, and Niobe's Child in chalk. In 1824 he exhibited a portrait of Gen. Alexander Ogle. At a later period Mr. Drexel gave up painting and went into business as a stock- and exchange-broker. This was the foundation of the banking-house of Drexel & Co., so well known in America and Europe.

William Albright, in 1818, ranked as a landscape- painter. He exhibited a copy of Rubens' painting of " The Watering Place."

Alexander Rider was a historical and portrait- painter, and exhibited some of the productions of his pencil in 1818. Among them were " The Fortune-

H. Magenis, a portrait-painter, in 1818 copied Sir Joshua Reynolds' painting of "The Holy Family" and portrait of Lord Byron. Edmund Brewster, a portrait-painter of the same period, exhibited a por- trait of himself. Hugh Reinagle, a son of Frank Reinagle, lessee of the Chestnut Street Theatre, studied scene-painting with John J. Holland, but

painted many very pleasant pictures, among which are " A View of the City of New York," " A Pan- orama of New York," "Falls of Niagara from the New York Side," "Mount Ida Falls on the Hudson River," "Niagara Falls from the Canada Side" (1818), "Catskill Landing, New York," and " Vil- lage and Fort of Michilimackinac, New York, from Hell Gate." Mr. Reinagle, notwithstanding his suc- cess as a landscape painter, went back to scene- painting after a time. He died in 1834, in New Or- lean's, whither he had gone (in 1830) as scene-painter for Manager Caldwell.

Caroline Schetky, the daughter of the musician, George Schetky, of the Chestnut Street Theatre, was a very good miniature-painter. Among her best por- traits was that of Signor Arfossi, of the Italian Opera- House, London. She paid also some attention to landscapes, and executed many views of English scenery. In 1822 she painted, in water-color, “ New York, from Governor's Island." She painted flowers from nature, and her " Wild Geranium" and " Spring Crocus" were much admired.

Madam Plantou, wife of Dr. Anthony Plantou, dentist, painted the national picture of the "Treaty of Ghent," which was exhibited at her husband's house, on Third Street, in 1818. It was a fine, large, allegorical composition in oil, eleven feet long and seven feet high. This painting, it was said, "would be considered as worthy of the first collection in the world." It attracted much attention. Madam Plan- ton was a pupil of the celebrated French painter, Renand. She exhibited in 1822 her original picture of "Christ Disputing with the Doctors." Her por- trait of Bishop Conwell, painted in 1825, is well known by the engraving which was afterward made of it.

N. M. Hentz, in 1819, exhibited a portrait of a creole lady. Daniel Dickinson, of Connecticut, a self-taught artist, exhibited miniatures in 1819. He painted a portrait of Henry Wallack in 1823. He had quite a taste for fancy painting, illustrating female beauty. About 1830 he turned his attention to painting portraits in oil, and gradually devoted himself to that branch of art. Charles S. Le Seur, better known as a naturalist than as an artist, painted subjects in natural history, among which were "A Casoar, from New Holland, painted from nature"

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HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA.

(1819), " A Suffolk Boar," and "Brittany Cows," belonging to Reuben Haines, painted in 1821.

Joshua Shaw painted everything, from a tavern sign to a landscape; in the latter he was most success- ful. Ile exhibited at the academy in 1819 the " Isle of Wight by Moonlight." In 1820 he was commis- sioned by the government to accompany the party which was about to explore the country np the Mis- souri River, and make sketches of the scenery. He exhibited " A Storm and Shipwreck" in 1821, and " A Landscape and Lake" in 1825. He was a busy man among his professional brethren for some years, and was active in forming " The Association of American Artists." Yet he gave up art, and became interested in the sale and improvement of fire-arms. In 1822, and afterward, he took several patents for new models of fire-arms.

John Neagle, although he had had but a few months' instruction from Pietro Ancora and Bass Otis, be- came famous for his portraits, and was employed by the leading citizens. The list of his portraits is too long for insertion here. The first portrait which at- tracted general attention was that of Rev. Joseph Pilmore, D.D. But his masterpiece was the portrait of Patrick Lyon, the blacksmith and fire-engine maker, whom, at his own request, he represented at work in his shop. Dunlap says that it established Mr. Neagle's " claim to a high rank in his profession, by the skill and knowledge he has displayed in com- posing and completing so complicated and difficult a work. The figure stands admirably ; the dress is truly appropriate; the expression of the head equally so; and the arm is a masterly performance. The light and indications of heat are managed with perfect skill. In the background at a distance is seen the Philadelphia prison, and thereby hangs a tale." He married a daughter of Sully, the artist, in 1820. He was eight years president of the Artists' Fund So- ciety. Among his best portraits are Washington (in Independence Hall), Gilbert Stuart, Mrs. Wood as Amina, Mathew Carey, Henry Clay, Dr. Chapman, and Commodore Barron. He died in 1865.

Miss E. Neagle sent some flower-pieces to the ex- hibition in 1819. In 1821 she contributed a mill, waterfall, and river, in water-colors.

George Catlin was born in the Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania. He painted miniatures, among which are noted " Ariadne," after Sir Joshua Reynolds, Napoleon 1821), Timothy Pickering, Captain Mor- gan, U.S.N .. " Persico," and " Madonna and Child" 1822 . C'atlin conceived the idea that accurate por- traits of Indian chiefs and warriors would form a valuable collection ; he went West, and lived eight years among the savages, visiting no less than forty- eight tribes. The result of this arduous undertaking was three hundred and ten portraits in oil-colors, and two hundred other pictures illustrative of In- dian life. After exhibiting his pictures in the prin- cipal Atlantic eities, in 1839, he took them to London

and the Continent in 1840. He published " Illns- trations of the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians," etc., with three hun- dred steel-plate illustrations, London, 1841; "The North American Portfolio of Hunting Scenes and Amusements of the Rocky Mountains and Prairies of America," with twenty-five drawings and notes by the author ; and " Notes of Eight Years' Travel and Residence in Europe," 1848. Mr. Catlin married in Philadelphia. He died in Jersey City, Dec. 23, 1872.

Borthwick exhibited, at No. 171 Chestnut Street, in 1821, "The Capuchin Chapel," which he called "the great American painting." The picture seems to have been a copy of Sully's copy of the original painting by Granet. Borthwick shortly afterward painted a portrait of Robert Burns, which he pre- sented to the Burns Club, which met in the Burns Tavern, which was kept by Muirheid in Bank Street.

J. C. Schetky exhibited " Bass Islands," "Frith of Forth," "River Gallejos," "Gale on the Atlantic," water-colors, in 1821.

Thomas Doughty, born in Philadelphia, July 19, 1793, devoted himself almost entirely to landscapes, and acquired fame in that particular branch of art, although he was twenty-eight years of age when he resolved to adopt the painter's profession, and he had had but little instruction in drawing. He worked assiduonsly, and improved until he was, Dunlap says, " the first and best [landscape-painter] in the country." Benjamin says (" Art in America"), "There have been greater landscape-painters than Doughty, but few have done so well with such meagre opportuni- ties for instruction." He practiced his profession for many years in the United States, and also in London and Paris, but died in New York, July 24, 1856. Among his best pictures are "Peep at the Catskills," "View on the Hudson," " Lake Scene," " Old Mill," " Near the Delaware Water Gap," and " Scene on the Susquehanna."

Countess Charlotte Julie de Survilliers, daughter of Joseph Bonaparte, although not a professional artist, had considerable skill and taste, and delighted in exhibiting her pictures, which were of sufficient merit to entitle them to admission to the annual exhibitions of the Academy of Fine Arts. Her works commenced in 1822, with a landscape and a waterfall. She produced landscapes in sepia, min- iatures and landscapes in oil, crayon studies from nature, hollyhocks, peonies, tulips, and other flowers in water-colors and oil (1823), and "Falls of the Passaic" (1824). She was the designer of eleven views of American scenery, which were lithographed by Joubert, and published as "The Picturesque Views of America" (1825).

The introduction of the engraver's art in Philadel- phia is surrounded with as much mystery as the in- troduction of painting. As we find signs and even portraits painted by unknown artists, so do we find cuts in wood and metal in the old almanacs and news-

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papers, which must have been done here, although no name is attached to them. It is probable that the demand for engravers' work was not sufficiently great to justify those artists in devoting themselves entirely to their profession ; they made a living in some other way, and if a newspaper heading or a wood-ent was wanted the job was given to them, and they did not attach enough importance to it to affix their signature to the engraving. Alexander Anderson, mentioned by Mr. Dunlap as the first professional wood engraver known in this country (he came from England to New York in 1775), says that "engravings for letter- press had been executed on type-metal in various parts of this country long before the Revolution." He believed that Dr. Franklin "ent the ornaments for his 'Poor Richard' almanac in this way." A well- done copper-plate of the Pennsylvania fireplace ac- can hardly be supposed, however, to be the great philosopher's handiwork, but must be attributed to one of those nameless artists. The same may be said of the wood-cut in " Plain Truth," published in 1748, illustrating the fable of " The Wagoner and Hercules." A large engraving, published in 1764, entitled " The Paxton Expedition : inscribed to the author of the Farce by H. D.," is believed, on good grounds, to be the work of H. Dawkins, who lived for some years in Philadelphia. To this artist are also ascribed " The Old Ticket" and " The Election," published in 1765. Dawkins seems to have visited various parts of this country. In 1774 he was working in New York, where he was noticed by Mr. Dunlap.

In the American Magazine for January, 1769, is an engraving of " A Curious Manner of Fowling in Nor- way." The engraver is unknown. Unknown also are the engravers of numerous caricatures published, in 1764, against Franklin, Israel Pemberton, and others. The first professional engraver who acquired fame in Philadelphia was the Englishman James Smithers, who settled here in 1773. As Mr. Dunlap remarks, " He was the best, for he stood alone." He executed all sorts of engraving, and it is more than likely that the caricaturists of the time required the assistance of his graver. He was employed in illustrating the American Magazine, published by R. Aitken. He en- graved the blocks for the Continental money, and, says Dunlap, "afterwards imitated them for the British." Smithers returned to Philadelphia with the British troops, and went away with them in 1778. He came back after the Revolution, for Lawson bought from him, and cut into smaller plates, three large plates of a ground-plan of the city of Phila- delphia, which Smithers could scarcely have engraved during the war times. Smithers died in Philadelphia after 1829, at an advanced age.

But Smithers did not "stand alone" very long. Robert Aitken, the publisher of the Pennsylvania Magazine, was a good engraver; he executed some very fair illustrations for his magazine. J. Poupard

also engraved, for the Pennsylvania Magazine, a head of Dr. Goldsmith. He engraved several plates for the second volume of the " Transactions of the Amer- ican Philosophical Society," and a curious seal for a burlesque "High Court of Chancery," which is in possession of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. J. Norman, a pupil of Godfrey Kneller, and the early instructor of Charles Wilson Peale, was living in Philadelphia prior to and during the Revolution. He executed several battle pieces. His "print-seller and engraver" establishment was on Second Street near Spruce. Robert Scot came to Philadelphia about 1780. He engraved the architectural plates for Dobson's "Encyclopædia" and Peale's Washing- ton at full length. He was the first regular engraver of the Mint, receiving his appointment in 1793. John Trenchard studied engraving with Smithers, and was companied Franklin's account of his invention. It ! one of the firm who started the publication of the

Columbian Magazine, in 1786. He engraved several plates for this magazine. Lawson says of these en- gravings that "they were poor scratchy things, as were all the rest of his works." Notwithstanding, he was the instructor of his son Edward, and of Thackara and Vallance. Edward Trenchard visited England for the purpose of obtaining further instruc- tion in his art, but it does not seem that he attained his object. He never was much of an artist. Soon after his return he gave up engraving and went into the United States navy,-a wise step, for he became an officer. While in London, Trenchard induced young Gilbert Fox, an apprentice to the well-known engraver, Medland, to come with him to Philadelphia. Fox taught Trenchard the art of etching, which was then little known here. He also obtained employ- ment as drawing-master to a young ladies' boarding- school, but having fallen in love with one of his pupils, and persuaded her to marry him, he lost his situation and damaged his prospects generally. He then went upon the stage, and was the actor who first sung " Hail Columbia," this song having been written for him by Joseph Hopkinson. Among the etchings of Fox is a curious view of Philadelphia from the west bank of the Schuylkill, done in aqua-tinta. James Thackara and John Vallance were partners. Their principal works were the plates for Dobson's "Ency- clopædia." Vallance engraved in 1795 the plates in "Transactions of the Philosophical Society." Thack- ara became in later years the keeper of the Pennsyl- vania Academy of Fine Arts.

James Peller Malcolm, a native of Philadelphia, born in August, 1767, commenced painting and en- graving about 1787-88. He went to England, and studied at the Royal Academy three years. He then gave up painting, and devoted himself to engraving, but, although he was industrious and untiring, he never attained great eminence in his profession. He returned to Philadelphia for a short time, about 1792 -93, and did some work here ; among others, an inside view of Christ Church. He went back to London,

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where he worked for the Gentlemen's Magazine and drew and engraved plates for historical and anti- quarian works. . He died in London, April 5, 1815. His ancestor, James Peller, was an emigrant with Penn. Malcolm published " Londinum Reditum, or an Ancient and Modern Description of London," 4 vols. 4to; " Letters between the Rev. James Granger and many Eminent Men," Svo; "First Impressions, or Sketches from Art and Nature," Svo ; " Anecdotes of the Manners and Customs of London," 4to; " Mis- cellaneous Anecdotes," 8vo; " An Historical Sketch of the Art of Caricaturing," 4to.

David Edwin, of whom Dunlap says, "this emi- nent artist was the first good engraver of the human countenance that appeared in this country," came to Philadelphia in December, 1797. He was an Eng- lishman, the son of John Edwin, a celebrated come- dian, and had been articled, when quite a youth, to the Dutch engraver, Jossi, an artist of superior ability. Edwin followed his master to Holland in 1796, but did not remain Jong in that country. Without money or friends he could not find the means of returning Alexander Lawson, already mentioned in these pages, was a Scotchman, who came to Philadelphia in 1794. He worked with Thackara and Vallance, also with Barralett, whose designs he engraved, and did some plates for Dobson's "Encyclopedia." Although a self-taught engraver, Lawson rose to the highest rank in his art. Ile was the engraver of the beau- tiful plates in Wilson's and Bonaparte's "Ornithol- ogy," and of the plates designed by Barralett for the poems of the Rev. J. Blair Linn. to England, and a ship bound for Philadelphia hap- pening to be in the harbor of Amsterdam, the young artist determined to go to America by working his passage as a sailor before the mast. The ship was five months reaching its destination. Immediately after his arrival in Philadelphia young Edwin sought T. B. Freeman, a countryman of his, who carried on the business of book-publisher, and solicited employ- ment. Ile came opportunely, for there were not many good engravers to be had, and Mr. Freeman A true artist was William Russell Birch, who came to Philadelphia, from his native England, in 1794. He first announced himself as an enamel painter, and did some work in that branch, but he soon conceived the project of a great work, which he carried out with great industry. Turning to account his taste for architectural drawing and his knowledge of the en- graver's art, he drew and engraved upon copper, in the best style, a series of plates, twenty-eight in set him to work on the title-page of a collection of Scotch airs selected by Benjamin Carr. Some idea of the difficulties with which an engraver had to contend in practicing his art in Philadelphia at that time may be formed from Mr. Edwin's account of his own experience. He says,1 " Copper. plates were finished rough from the hammer. No tools to be purchased, he (the engraver) had to depend upon his own ingenuity to fabricate them for himself, or in number and forming a volume, which was issued on , directing others qualified for the work. But worse the 31st of December, 1800, with the title "Views of the City of Philadelphia in 1800." This was a work of great value for its excellent execution. It is still more valuable at this day, as giving a true picture of the city and its people as they were nearly a hundred years ago.

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History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Part 49

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 992

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 992