Portrait of Asahel Pomeroy
Image ID: ART036
An oil painting of Asahel Pomeroy seated on chair, frontal view; finger on map on table.
Displayed in the Forbes Library Reference Room, Northampton, MA.
Ralph Earl
Ralph Earl 91751-1801), landscape and portrait painter from Leicester in Worcester County, Mass., painted this portrait of Revolutionary War hero Colonel Seth Pomeroy's son, Asahel (1749-1833), at the end of the 18th century. Asahel, who died in 1833 at the age of 83, ran a public house and boarding house in Northampton for many years. His obituary described him as a man whose "principles, habits and dress showed he belonged to the old-school; he was not given to change." One gets that no-nonsense feeling about him even today, through the dour, though stylized, visage of his portrait.
Forbes Library received this fine example of American folk art in 1925. It came as a cherished gift from the Honorable George Eltwood Pomeroy of Toledo, Ohio, a direct descendant of the Pomeroys of Northampton. The painting was refinished in 1941, and restored again in 1963.
Earl, the artist, was present at the Battle of Lexington in 1775, and is probably best known for four scenes he sketched of the battle, later engraved by Amos Doolittle. After the Revolutionary War, Earl wet to London, where he studied with Benjamin West. He returned to America in 1876, achieving great success as a portrait painter. His work is highly valued for two centuries.
Displayed in the Forbes Library Reference Room, Northampton, MA.
Ralph Earl
Ralph Earl 91751-1801), landscape and portrait painter from Leicester in Worcester County, Mass., painted this portrait of Revolutionary War hero Colonel Seth Pomeroy's son, Asahel (1749-1833), at the end of the 18th century. Asahel, who died in 1833 at the age of 83, ran a public house and boarding house in Northampton for many years. His obituary described him as a man whose "principles, habits and dress showed he belonged to the old-school; he was not given to change." One gets that no-nonsense feeling about him even today, through the dour, though stylized, visage of his portrait.
Forbes Library received this fine example of American folk art in 1925. It came as a cherished gift from the Honorable George Eltwood Pomeroy of Toledo, Ohio, a direct descendant of the Pomeroys of Northampton. The painting was refinished in 1941, and restored again in 1963.
Earl, the artist, was present at the Battle of Lexington in 1775, and is probably best known for four scenes he sketched of the battle, later engraved by Amos Doolittle. After the Revolutionary War, Earl wet to London, where he studied with Benjamin West. He returned to America in 1876, achieving great success as a portrait painter. His work is highly valued for two centuries.
Image Details
| Dublin Core | |
|---|---|
| Title |
Portrait of Asahel Pomeroy
|
| Subject |
Ralph Earl
Asahel Pomeroy
Portrait paintings
Oil paintings
|
| Description |
An oil painting of Asahel Pomeroy seated on chair, frontal view; finger on map on table.
Displayed in the Forbes Library Reference Room, Northampton, MA. Ralph Earl Ralph Earl 91751-1801), landscape and portrait painter from Leicester in Worcester County, Mass., painted this portrait of Revolutionary War hero Colonel Seth Pomeroy's son, Asahel (1749-1833), at the end of the 18th century. Asahel, who died in 1833 at the age of 83, ran a public house and boarding house in Northampton for many years. His obituary described him as a man whose "principles, habits and dress showed he belonged to the old-school; he was not given to change." One gets that no-nonsense feeling about him even today, through the dour, though stylized, visage of his portrait. Forbes Library received this fine example of American folk art in 1925. It came as a cherished gift from the Honorable George Eltwood Pomeroy of Toledo, Ohio, a direct descendant of the Pomeroys of Northampton. The painting was refinished in 1941, and restored again in 1963. Earl, the artist, was present at the Battle of Lexington in 1775, and is probably best known for four scenes he sketched of the battle, later engraved by Amos Doolittle. After the Revolutionary War, Earl wet to London, where he studied with Benjamin West. He returned to America in 1876, achieving great success as a portrait painter. His work is highly valued for two centuries. |
| Creator |
Ralph Earle
|
| Date |
l.l. (in red) signed R. Earl, pir (painter), dated 1799
|
| Format |
Oil
|
| Identifier |
ART036
|
| Still Image Item Type Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Physical Dimensions |
41" x 33"
|
Citation
Ralph Earle, “Portrait of Asahel Pomeroy,” Forbes Library Images from the Archives, accessed April 27, 2024, https://images.forbeslibrary.org/items/show/780.