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Misattribution Musical Chairs (Various Artists)

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What's your favorite Joseph Whiting Stock portrait? Maybe his charming niece and nephew? How about the one he painted after his death? - - - The girl on the left was sold as “Attributed to Joseph Whiting Stock (American, 1815-1855)” with much pomp and circumstance. It provides some wonderful catalog copy analyzing Stock’s difficulty with perspective, which I’m still very fond of, even if the attribution is dead wrong. Pun not intended. Guess what: the auction record for the identical companion portrait, the girl on the right , surfaced recently.
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Eminently Artful? (Deacon Robert Peckham)

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The art of resemblance is a tricky one. People don’t like being committed to memory in an unflattering likeness (just ask any photographer). Historically, artists often chose to enhance a person’s appearance, smoothing out any blemishes and modifying their features for the better. Most frequently, portraits aspired towards whatever the contemporary ideal of conventional beauty happened to be, which varied widely over time and culture. However, the underlying principle is the same: Don’t make them look bad.
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"In Behalf of Oppressed Humanity" Transcript (Deacon Robert Peckham)

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Here's the transcript of my talk for the John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace about Deacon Robert Peckham, "In Behalf of Oppressed Humanity." Many thanks to Whittier Birthplace director  Kaleigh Paré Shaughnessy, and everyone who attended.  Links are available here: Presentation Slides / Video . The transcript is verbatim (made with Turboscribe ); brackets indicate edits for clarity. This is a bit longer than most blog articles - thanks for reading, if you do! - - -
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Deacon Robert Peckham Virtual Lecture: “In Behalf of Oppressed Humanity”

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I’m delighted to announce that I’ve been asked to give an online lecture on Deacon Robert Peckham’s life and works, by the Whittier Birthplace, home of John Greenleaf Whittier, Peckham’s famous portrait subject. Among other new discoveries, I will be unveiling Peckham’s letters to John Quincy Adams, America’s 6th president. It is on February 27, 7pm Eastern time. Zoom registration is required, but it is free. I hope to see you there! - - - Sign-up link: http://bit.ly/peckhamwhittier or https://www.whittierbirthplace.org/events/zfj3f4a5ezsbsc7f5ba847cb7wp277   
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Who On Earth Is Isaac Keeley? (John H. Keeley)

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I’ll confess, I couldn’t figure out who Mr. Keeley is, either. Turns out there’s a reason. - - - Biographical information about this Massachusetts man is minimal. He was a traveling folk painter, like so many, who left a swath of beautiful portraits in his wake. Most of his surviving works have lost the artist’s name, but retain their centuries-old charm. Before I knew him as Keeley, he lived in my notes as “Probably a big-name, but not Peckham.” Unfortunately, he’s not a big-name. He’s barely known at all.
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