John Hesselius
Encyclopedia
John Hesselius was a portrait
ist who worked mostly in Virginia
and Maryland
. He was the son of the Swedish
-born portraitist Gustavus Hesselius
.
area. John probably set out from Philadelphia in order to escape competition from the better-known artists in the area, such as his father, James Claypoole, John Wollaston
and Robert Feke
.
. By the following year he had established himself as a colonial "court" painter, and painted many of the prominent families in the Chesapeake Bay area. In 1751, he made six portraits for the Fitzhughs, one of the First Families of Virginia
. He eventually painted or copied five generations of the family during the two decades he worked for them. (A 1767 portrait of Sarah Fitzhugh Bland, the mother of Chancellor Theodorick Bland, is the only signed work by Hesselius for which there is a record of the value of the commission: £20 and sixteen shillings.) Also in 1751 completed four portraits for Philadelphia judge Joshua Maddox and his family. Twelve portraits have been identified as Hesselius works for this year alone. Upon Gustavus' death in 1755, he inherited his father's house on High Street (now Market Street, Philadelphia).
He received a large commission in 1761 to paint portraits of the four children of Benedict Swingate Calvert
, illegitimate son of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
. In 1762 he became the first instructor of the acclaimed artist Charles Willson Peale
, "exchanging one of his best saddles with its complete furniture for three lessons in Hesselius' studio." Hesselius himself received a few lessons in the 1760s from John Wollaston
, and Wollaston's style was a further influence on Hesselius' work. 1763 proved to be a busy year for John, for on January 30 he married the wealthy Annapolitan widow Mary Young Woodward, whose husband owned Primrose Hill
, where he soon moved in with her. He became more involved with his local parish, St. Anne's Church
in Annapolis. On April 4 that same year he signed a "Denial of Transubstantiation
", and is shown on church records to be a church warden. He is also shown to have sold numerous properties throughout the Annapolis area.
Records show Hesselius to be a multi-faceted man. An inventory of his property taken for his will shows him owning 31 slaves, numerous scientific instruments including a camera obscura
, microscope, three violins, a harpsichord and a guitar. His last known work was dated 1777, one year before his death on April 9, 1778.
A portrait of John Hanson
, first President of Continental Congress (who some consider to be the true first President of the United States), was painted by John Hesselius around 1770.
, whose bright and decorative style made more of an artistic impression upon John than his father's. Elements of Feke's style are evident throughout Hesselius' works, and his meticulous attention to fabric and color makes his sitters appear elegant. He was also influenced by the work of John Wollaston, who gave him a few lessons in portraiture. The majority of colonial portraitists emulated successful painters, which therefore stifled most of the artistic development in the American Colonies. John Hesselius is an excellent example of this "borrowing" from other colonial artists. The most prominent portraitists such as John Singleton Copley
or Benjamin West
left America for the more developed centers of painting, namely London.
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
ist who worked mostly in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He was the son of the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
-born portraitist Gustavus Hesselius
Gustavus Hesselius
Gustavus Hesselius was a Swedish born painter who emigrated to the New World in 1711. He was the father of painter John Hesselius and cousin of the religious leader Emanuel Swedenborg.-Biography:...
.
Background
John Hesselius was most likely born in Philadelphia, where his father owned a house to satisfy clients. Claims that he was born in Prince Georges County, Maryland are unfounded, for his father Gustavus had sold his farm in the county in 1726, two years prior to John's birth. Any records of his birth would have been lost in a fire that occurred in 1740 at Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church in Philadelphia. In 1750 it is documented that Gustavus received two letters from his son, who was writing from the WilliamsburgWilliamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
area. John probably set out from Philadelphia in order to escape competition from the better-known artists in the area, such as his father, James Claypoole, John Wollaston
John Wollaston (painter)
John Wollaston was an English painter of portraits who was active in the British colonies in North America for much of his career. He was one of a handful of painters to introduce the English Rococo style to the American colonies.-Biography:Little is known of Wollaston's early life. He is...
and Robert Feke
Robert Feke
Robert Feke was an American portrait painter born on Long Island, New York. Little is known for certain about his life before 1741, which is the year he painted his first portrait, Family of Isaac Royall. Sixteen portraits in total are known to be by Feke, and an additional 50 are disputed to be...
.
Career
His earliest paintings are attributed to 1750, when he worked in the vicinities of Williamsburg and YorktownYorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
. By the following year he had established himself as a colonial "court" painter, and painted many of the prominent families in the Chesapeake Bay area. In 1751, he made six portraits for the Fitzhughs, one of the First Families of Virginia
First Families of Virginia
First Families of Virginia were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They originated with colonists from England who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsburg, and along the James River and other navigable waters...
. He eventually painted or copied five generations of the family during the two decades he worked for them. (A 1767 portrait of Sarah Fitzhugh Bland, the mother of Chancellor Theodorick Bland, is the only signed work by Hesselius for which there is a record of the value of the commission: £20 and sixteen shillings.) Also in 1751 completed four portraits for Philadelphia judge Joshua Maddox and his family. Twelve portraits have been identified as Hesselius works for this year alone. Upon Gustavus' death in 1755, he inherited his father's house on High Street (now Market Street, Philadelphia).
Benedict Swingate Calvert
Benedict Swingate Calvert was a Maryland Loyalist during the American Revolution. He was the son of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, the third Proprietor Governor of Maryland , and may have been the grandson of King George I of Great Britain...
, illegitimate son of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, 3rd Proprietor and 17th Proprietary Governor of Maryland, FRS was a British nobleman and Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland...
. In 1762 he became the first instructor of the acclaimed artist Charles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale was an American painter, soldier and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution, as well as establishing one of the first museums....
, "exchanging one of his best saddles with its complete furniture for three lessons in Hesselius' studio." Hesselius himself received a few lessons in the 1760s from John Wollaston
John Wollaston (painter)
John Wollaston was an English painter of portraits who was active in the British colonies in North America for much of his career. He was one of a handful of painters to introduce the English Rococo style to the American colonies.-Biography:Little is known of Wollaston's early life. He is...
, and Wollaston's style was a further influence on Hesselius' work. 1763 proved to be a busy year for John, for on January 30 he married the wealthy Annapolitan widow Mary Young Woodward, whose husband owned Primrose Hill
Primrose Hill (Annapolis, Maryland)
Primrose Hill is a historic home at 3 Milkshake Lane in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It is a -story, four-bay, double-pile brick house with interior end chimneys...
, where he soon moved in with her. He became more involved with his local parish, St. Anne's Church
St. Anne's Church (Annapolis, Maryland)
St. Anne's Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church located in Church Circle, Annapolis. The first church in Annapolis, it was founded in 1692 to serve as the parish church for the newly created Middle Neck Parish, one of the original 30 Anglican parishes in the Province of Maryland.-First...
in Annapolis. On April 4 that same year he signed a "Denial of Transubstantiation
Transubstantiation
In Roman Catholic theology, transubstantiation means the change, in the Eucharist, of the substance of wheat bread and grape wine into the substance of the Body and Blood, respectively, of Jesus, while all that is accessible to the senses remains as before.The Eastern Orthodox...
", and is shown on church records to be a church warden. He is also shown to have sold numerous properties throughout the Annapolis area.
Records show Hesselius to be a multi-faceted man. An inventory of his property taken for his will shows him owning 31 slaves, numerous scientific instruments including a camera obscura
Camera obscura
The camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side...
, microscope, three violins, a harpsichord and a guitar. His last known work was dated 1777, one year before his death on April 9, 1778.
John Hanson
John Hanson was a merchant and public official from Maryland during the era of the American Revolution. After serving in a variety of roles for the Patriot cause in Maryland, in 1779 Hanson was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress...
, first President of Continental Congress (who some consider to be the true first President of the United States), was painted by John Hesselius around 1770.
Style
John Hesselius worked "exclusively in the late English Baroque and English Rococo traditions, and always used oil on canvas." Hesselius' works often lack warmth, containing generic, repetitive facial features. His early portraits show difficulty in accurately depicting human anatomy, particularly in the hands and noses of his subjects. Hesselius was heavily influenced by the works of Robert FekeRobert Feke
Robert Feke was an American portrait painter born on Long Island, New York. Little is known for certain about his life before 1741, which is the year he painted his first portrait, Family of Isaac Royall. Sixteen portraits in total are known to be by Feke, and an additional 50 are disputed to be...
, whose bright and decorative style made more of an artistic impression upon John than his father's. Elements of Feke's style are evident throughout Hesselius' works, and his meticulous attention to fabric and color makes his sitters appear elegant. He was also influenced by the work of John Wollaston, who gave him a few lessons in portraiture. The majority of colonial portraitists emulated successful painters, which therefore stifled most of the artistic development in the American Colonies. John Hesselius is an excellent example of this "borrowing" from other colonial artists. The most prominent portraitists such as John Singleton Copley
John Singleton Copley
John Singleton Copley was an American painter, born presumably in Boston, Massachusetts, and a son of Richard and Mary Singleton Copley, both Irish. He is famous for his portrait paintings of important figures in colonial New England, depicting in particular middle-class subjects...
or Benjamin West
Benjamin West
Benjamin West, RA was an Anglo-American painter of historical scenes around and after the time of the American War of Independence...
left America for the more developed centers of painting, namely London.