John Neagle
John Neagle | |
|---|---|
 John NeaglebyBass Otis,c. 1815 | |
| Born | John B. Neagle November 4, 1796 |
| Died | September 17, 1865(aged 68) |
| Notable work | Pat Lyon at the Forge Portraits of Joseph Philmpre, Henry Clay |
John Neagle(November 4, 1796 – September 17, 1865) was a fashionable Americanpainter,primarily of portraits, during the first half of the 19th century in Philadelphia.
Biography[edit]
Neagle was born inBoston, Massachusetts.His training in art began with instruction from the drawing-master Pietro Ancora and an apprenticeship to Thomas Wilson, a well-connected painter of signs and coaches in Philadelphia. Wilson introduced him to the paintersBass OtisandThomas Sully,and Neagle became a protégé of the latter. In 1818 Neagle decided to concentrate exclusively onportraits,setting up shop as an independent master.[1]
Aside from brief sojourns inLe xing ton, Kentucky,andNew Orleans, Louisiana,he spent his career inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania,where he died. In May 1826 he married Sully's stepdaughter Mary, and for a time the son-in-law and father-in-law dominated the field of portraiture in the city. Neagle served as Director of thePennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts,and was also a founder and president (1835–43) of theArtist's Fund Society of Philadelphia.[2]
Works[edit]
Neagle's sitters included society figures, politicians, professionals and merchants, all of whom he treated with an incisive attention to psychology and an often dazzling brushwork derived (by way of Sully andSir Thomas Lawrence) ultimately fromvan Dyck.His most impressive works are, arguably, the full-length allegoricalPortrait ofHenry Clay(Union League,Philadelphia), and the unconventional and brutally heroicPat Lyon at the Forge(Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts).[3]
Other Neagle sitters included Vice PresidentRichard Mentor Johnson,GovernorJohn Jordan Crittendenof Kentucky, CongressmanJames Harperand his wife Charlotte, theMarquis de Lafayette,BishopWilliam Meade,Dr.William Potts Dewees,authorJames Fenimore Cooper,fellow painterGilbert Stuart,actorEdwin Forrestand the architectsWilliam Strickland,John HavilandandThomas Ustick Walteras well as Pawnee Indian and hero of the whitesPetalesharo.[4]: 190 His papers are housed at theHistorical Society of Pennsylvania,which hosted a retrospective exhibition of his work in 1989 (with scholarly catalogue by Robert Torchia).
Sixteen paintings of actors in character by Neagle are housed in the library atThe Playersin New York City.[citation needed]
Gallery[edit]
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Mathew Carey,1825 -
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The Studious Artist: Portrait ofThomas Birch1836,Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts -
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Julia Dodd(Mrs. George Dodd), c. 1852,National Gallery of Art,Washington, DC -
Portrait of a gentleman in black. Private collection
References[edit]
- ^Neagle, John.Biography entry, residence and birth place. Retrieved on 2007-12-07
- ^"Artists' Fund Society records, 1835–1855".Research collections.Archives of American Art. 2011.Retrieved16 Jun2011.
- ^"Pat Lyon at the Forge".
- ^Ewers, John C. (1988):Indian Life on the Upper Missouri.Norman and London.
External links[edit]
- TheJohn Neagle papers and related items,consisting mostly of volumes related to his work and cased photographs, are available for research use at theHistorical Society of Pennsylvania
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