Who painted Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs. Thomas Whittemore)?

Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs. Thomas Whittemore) was painted by Alvan Clark in 1845.

Where can I see Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs. Thomas Whittemore)?

Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs. Thomas Whittemore) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs. Thomas Whittemore)?

Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs. Thomas Whittemore) is associated with American Folk Art.

Can I buy a print of Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs. Thomas Whittemore)?

Museum-quality prints of Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs. Thomas Whittemore) are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs. Thomas Whittemore)

Alvan Clark , 1845

Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs. Thomas Whittemore) is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Alvan Clark. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs.

Inscription: Inscribed:on reverse of original canvas, now concealed by lining (photograph in NGA curatorial file): AEt 43 / 1845

About this work

Technique & Style

The physical dimensions and material composition identify it as a standard-sized easel painting intended for display within a domestic or institutional setting.

Executed in 1845, the portrait of Lovice Corbett Whittemore is an oil painting on a canvas support. Created by the artist Alvan Clark, the work measures 76.2 cm in height and 63.5 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the piece employs traditional oil paint handling typical of mid-nineteenth-century American portraiture.

The medium and support combination allows for the detailed rendering of the sitter's likeness, consistent with the genre conventions of the period. The physical dimensions and material composition identify it as a standard-sized easel painting intended for display within a domestic or institutional setting.

History & Provenance

Alvan Clark painted the oil-on-canvas portrait of Lovice Corbett Whittemore in 1845. Following the death of her husband, Thomas Whittemore, in 1861, the work presumably remained with the sitter until her own death in 1882. The painting then passed to her only surviving son, Joseph Whittemore, who died in 1894, and subsequently to his wife, Elizabeth Whittemore, who inherited his personal property.

Upon Elizabeth's death in 1904, the portrait descended to their sole surviving child, Thomas Whittemore (1871–1950). Thomas Whittemore later gifted the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1950, where it remains part of the collection.

Context

The 1845 portrait of Lovice Corbett, commissioned by Thomas Whittemore and painted by Alvan Clark, exemplifies mid‑nineteenth‑century American portraiture through its restrained realism and formal composition. Its provenance, traced from the sitter’s husband to descendants and finally to the National Gallery of Art in 1950, underscores a continuous family ownership that informs scholarly discussions of patronage and inheritance in the period. Documentation in the Gallery’s collection and Wikidata entries highlight the work’s significance as an early example of Clark’s mature style, situating it within the broader development of portrait painting in antebellum America.

Overview

Lovice Corbett Whittemore (Mrs. Thomas Whittemore) is an oil on canvas portrait created in 1845 by the American artist Alvan Clark. The painting depicts its namesake, Lovice Corbett Whittemore, in a seated pose. This work holds particular significance as one of the few known artistic productions by Clark, who is more widely recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of optics and telescope manufacturing.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait presents Lovice Corbett Whittemore seated, dressed in the fashion of the mid-19th century. The artist meticulously rendered her facial features and hands, suggesting an intent to capture a precise likeness and convey her individual presence. Such detailed attention was characteristic of formal portraiture during this period, serving both as a personal memento and a public representation of the sitter.