4507

WILLIAM SWAIN

New York/Massachusetts, 1803-1847

Pair of half-length portraits of Captain George Harris and Mary Chase Harris.

Unsigned. Both dated 1824 on stretchers. Additional information about this lot may be found on the Hellman Collection website, numbers REH638 and REH639.
Oils on canvas, 26.5" x 22.5". Framed 33.75" x 29.5".
Condition: The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction. 

  • Provenance:
    The Collection of Bob and Nina Hellman, Nantucket, Massachusetts.

    Notes:
    Captain George Harris was master of the whaleships
    Mayflower and Arabella of Plymouth, Massachusetts.

    William Swain was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts on December 27, 1803. He opened his first art studio in Newburyport in 1824 at the age of 21. He searched for commissions in Nantucket, New Bedford, Norfolk and New York City — places where he could find successful professionals eager to have themselves and their families portrayed in oil. He was Nantucket's most prolific portraitist, painting more than 100 portraits of ship captains, merchants, lawyers and other professionals and their spouses. He had a studio in New York City by 1833. Swain was the grandfather of the noted Pennsylvania artist Violet Oakley. He died in Norfolk, Virginia on February 18, 1847.

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August 11, 2023 9:30 AM EDT
East Dennis, MA, US

Eldred's

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