Artwork
Colonel William Fitch and His Sisters Sarah and Ann Fitch
Colonel William Fitch and His Sisters Sarah and Ann Fitch is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist John Singleton Copley. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The composition depicts the three siblings in a balanced arrangement, with attention to costume and expression noted in the provenance records.
The portrait Colonel William Fitch and His Sisters Sarah and Ann Fitch is an oil painting on canvas, created in 1800, as documented in the National Gallery of Art’s records and confirmed by Wikidata. The canvas support is documented, and the work measures 257.8 cm by 340.4 cm. It is classified as a portrait, reflecting the genre of early nineteenth‑century portraiture. The composition depicts the three siblings in a balanced arrangement, with attention to costume and expression noted in the provenance records.
History & Provenance
The portrait Colonel William Fitch and His Sisters Sarah and Ann Fitch by John Singleton Copley is dated to 1800. Art-historical accounts suggest it was commissioned by Dr. James Lloyd, a Boston surgeon and maternal uncle of the sitters, though later owners believed it was intended for his son, the future U.S. Senator James Lloyd. The painting descended through the Lloyd family to John Borland, nephew of Dr. James Lloyd, and subsequently to his sons, John Nelson Borland and M. Woolsey Borland.
It later passed to Borland’s granddaughter, Katharine Tiffany Abbott, and her children, who gifted the work to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in 1960.
The portrait is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. It was accessioned in 1960 as a gift to the Gallery. Before entering the NGA, it descended through the Lloyd, Borland, and Abbott families. John Borland’s sons lent it to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 1898, and it was later donated by Katharine Abbott Batchelder, Gordon Abbott, and Eleanor Abbott Lothrop in 1960.
Overview
This oil on canvas painting, titled Colonel William Fitch and His Sisters Sarah and Ann Fitch, was completed by John Singleton Copley in 1800. The work presents a formal group portrait featuring Colonel William Fitch alongside his two sisters, Sarah and Ann Fitch. As a prominent artist of his era, Copley captured the likenesses of his sitters, creating a significant record of the family.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Colonel William Fitch with his sisters, Sarah and Ann, arranged in a formal composition typical of the period. Copley's attention to their individual countenances and postures provides insight into their distinct personalities. The detailed depiction of their attire and accessories also serves to convey their social standing and the prevailing fashion of the early 19th century, offering a window into contemporary life.
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Artist & collection
Artist
John Singleton Copley (July 3, 1738 – September 9, 1815) was an American-born British painter active in both the Thirteen Colonies and England.
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