John Hesselius 1728 - 1778

Kennedy Galleries, New York;
Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, November 5, 2005, lot 239;
Jonathan Trace, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Has been relined and re-stretched. Scattered abrasions in the face and hair. In-painting scattered throughout the costume and background. Has been re-varnished.
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Referred to as "court painter" of the Fitzhugh Family, one of the founding families of Virginia, having painted five generations of the Fitzhugh family from 1750-1760. The portrait of John Bolton, falls within this period of great activity for the for the artist.

There is a copy of John Bolton's portrait by Hesselius in the collection of the New York Historical Society (1942.352). Relatives frequently had other artists make copies of family portraits in order to include them in their own collections. According to an inscription on the back of that portrait: "John Bolton, 2d son of Robt. ne 20 June 1726 ob 2 Mar 1784/K. Hesselius Pinx 1759, Commisary of Kent Co. Md." The accessions file at New York Historical provides the following information about the sitter: "John Bolton was the third son of Robert Bolton, a merchant in Philadelphia, and Ann (Curtis) Clay Bolton. He settled in Chestertown, Maryland and married Eleanor Dougherty." (See accession file for copy of this Hesselius portrait in the New York Historical Society)