Benjamin Lynde, Sr.

Maker John Smibert (American, 1688 - 1751)

Collections

American Paintings Selections

ClassificationsPAINTINGS

Date1731

Mediumoil on canvas, mounted on panel

Dimensionscanvas: 30 × 25 in. (76.2 × 63.5 cm.) frame: 35 5/8 × 30 7/8 × 2 1/2 in. (90.5 × 78.4 × 6.4 cm.)

InscribedInscribed on painting at later date: "Etat:72".

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Purchased with funds from the Virginia Steele Scott Foundation

Status

On view

Label TextJohn Smibert portrayed Benjamin Lynde Sr. in the wig he wore as chief justice of the Province of Massachusetts. Lynde also wears a "steenkirk tie" with long, loose ends, considered old fashioned by the 1730s. Smibert placed the jurist within an oval to give the portrait depth and add visual interest to the composition. The inscription "Ætat: 72" at the bottom left corner indicates Lynde's age at the time of the portrait.

Smibert was a successful portrait painter in Britain when he came to North America in 1728. His skill and knowledge of the latest trends in British art made him sought after by Boston's ruling elite, who wanted stylish portraits that emulated their peers' across the Atlantic. Smibert's paintings, and the copies of Old Masters he brought with him from England, inspired the next generation of Colonial portraitists, including Robert Feke and John Singleton Copley.

Object number85.43