Who painted Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge?

Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge was painted by Chester Harding in ca. 1827.

Where can I see Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge?

Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge?

Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge is associated with American Folk Art.

Artwork

Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge

Chester Harding , 1827

Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Chester Harding. It dates from 1827 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mrs.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The subject is shown wearing a hat adorned with an ostrich plume and a garment featuring silk fabric with a plain weave.

Chester Harding's 1827 portrait depicts Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge as a woman of high social standing, utilizing specific iconography to convey her status. The subject is shown wearing a hat adorned with an ostrich plume and a garment featuring silk fabric with a plain weave. Notably, she is draped in ermine, a material historically associated with royalty and extreme wealth, which serves as a primary symbol of her elevated position in society.

The formal presentation of these luxurious textiles and accessories within the portrait genre functions to represent the subject's prestige and refinement during the early nineteenth century.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1827, this portrait is an oil painting on a canvas support. The artist, Chester Harding, employed oil paint to render the sitter's attire and accessories with specific attention to textile textures. The composition features distinct formal elements including a hat adorned with an ostrich plume and garments incorporating ermine and silk fabric.

The underlying canvas support is characterized by a plain weave structure. The work measures 92.1 cm in height and 71.1 cm in width. These material choices and the depiction of luxurious fabrics contribute to the painting's classification as a formal portrait within the American genre, emphasizing the status and attire of the subject through the medium's capacity for detailed surface representation.

History & Provenance

The portrait was executed in 1827 by Chester (Charles) Harding as an oil on canvas work. Its creation is documented in contemporary records that list the subject as Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge and note the painting’s dimensions and materials. Following its execution, the artwork entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has remained in the institution’s The American Wing.

The painting’s provenance is thus traced from Harding’s studio in 1827 to its acquisition by the museum, establishing a clear ownership chain from creator to current custodians.

The portrait Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge, painted by Chester Harding in 1827, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is classified within the museum's American Wing. While the provided sources confirm the painting's presence in the Met's collection and its 1827 creation date, they do not specify a unique inventory or accession number for the piece.

Furthermore, the available documentation does not list any specific exhibition history for this portrait, offering no details regarding past displays or loan records. The artwork remains part of the museum's permanent holdings, identified as an oil on canvas portrait depicting the sitter in formal attire.

Overview

Mrs. Thomas Brewster Coolidge is an oil on canvas portrait depicting a woman in a black dress with white fur trim. The subject is shown seated, holding a straw hat, with a calm and direct gaze. This work is notable for its departure from the rigid poses common in early American portraiture, presenting the sitter in a more relaxed and naturalistic manner.

Mrs. James Pulham Sr. (Frances Amys, ca. 1766–1856), John Constable

Artist & collection

Artist

Chester Harding

Chester Harding (September 1, 1792 – April 1, 1866) was an American portrait painter known for his paintings of prominent figures in the United States and England.