Gentleman of the Hale Family
The sitter in this portrait was once identified as Joshua Hale of Newburyport, Massachusetts. Such a person was born in Newbury in 1766 and settled in Newburyport after 1794. He would have been about forty years old around 1807, when William Jennys is known to have been working there. This date is consistent with the sitter's costume, but he appears to be about twenty-five or thirty, which precludes his being that Joshua Hale, or his son, also Joshua, who would have been only a child. Another Joshua Hale (1777–1818), who lived in Dracut, Haverhill, and Worcester, Massachusetts, would also have been about thirty years old at the time of the portrait. His youthful age gave Jennys little opportunity to emphasize the wrinkles and furrows he often depicted with an almost surreal severity. The sitter's pose was a favorite of Jennys's, and is found in a similar portrait of James Clarkson of Newbury, Massachusetts (private collection).
Artwork Details
- Title: Gentleman of the Hale Family
- Artist: William Jennys (American, 1774–1859)
- Date: ca. 1807
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 30 x 24 7/8 in. (76.2 x 63.2 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1966
- Object Number: 66.242.18
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
William Jennys (American, 1774–1859)
ca. 1800
William Langson Lathrop (American, Warren, Illinois 1859–1938 Montauk, New York)
1897
Thomas Hovenden (American (born Ireland), Dunmanway 1840–1895 Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania)
1892–94
James Hamilton (American (born Ireland), Entrien 1819–1878 San Francisco, California)
1856
Jervis McEntee (American, Rondout, New York 1828–1891 Rondout, New York)
1875
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.