Artwork
Dr. William Foster
Dr. William Foster is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Joseph Badger. It dates from 1755 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: 1755; on reverse of the original canvas: William;Foster; / Eldest Son of;Isaac And Eleanor;Foster; / Was; Born; May; Ye 27th, 1733; And Died; / December Ye 4th, 1759; Aged; 26; Years And, / Six Months; His Character in The / Advertiser By An Unknown Hand; / Doctor; William; Foster; / Was A young Gentleman Possessed of Every / Virtue That Adorns The Social Life; / Religious, Without Ostentation; / Conscientious Without Affectation; / And Sincere Without Hypocrisy; Was / Universally Beloved By All That Had The / Pleasure of His Acquaintance; / And Whose Death is As Universally Lamented;
About this work
Technique & Style
The artwork is an oil painting executed on canvas, depicting William Foster. It measures 90.8 cm in height and 71.4 cm in width, reflecting the dimensions recorded for the work. The piece belongs to the portrait genre and is attributed to Joseph Badger, who was active during the mid-18th century. It remains in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
History & Provenance
It was purchased before May 16, 1949, by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who subsequently gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in 1957.
The painting was created by Joseph Badger in 1755. It depicts Dr. William Foster and remained in the family of Mrs. Philip Peck in Walpole, New Hampshire, before passing to Dr. Thomas Bellows Buffum and later to Annie Buffum Williams in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1943. It was purchased before May 16, 1949, by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who subsequently gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in 1957.
Dr. William Foster by Joseph Badger has been part of the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., since 1957, when it was given by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. The Garbisches had purchased the painting before 16 May 1949, when conservators Sheldon and Caroline Keck received it for treatment. Earlier, the portrait was held by Annie Buffum Williams (Mrs. Nathan W. Williams) of Northampton, Massachusetts, who wrote to the Frick Art Reference Library about it on 28 November 1943.
Before her, the work belonged to Dr. Thomas Bellows Buffum of Walpole, New Hampshire, and originally to Mrs. Philip Peck, also of Walpole.
No exhibition history beyond the documented provenance chain is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Joseph Badger’s oil portrait, dated 1755, presents Dr. William Foster in a formal pose typical of mid‑eighteenth‑century portraiture. The canvas captures the physician in a restrained composition that emphasizes his social standing and professional demeanor.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is shown with dark, curly hair, a high‑collared white shirt, and a dark jacket fastened with prominent buttons. His right hand rests with the thumb tucked into the waistcoat pocket, and his direct gaze conveys seriousness and confidence, reflecting the respectable image expected of a learned man of his era.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph Badger was born on March 14, 1707/8, in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the son of Stephen Badger, a tailor, and Mercy Kettell.
