Portraits of the Day: 03/29/2026 (Kennedy, Phillips, Hamblin, Smith, Field, Bradley)

There is no shortage of attribution corrections to be made, and interesting portraits to showcase! Here is another assortment of them, all posted first on Facebook and Instagram. While my work on the American Folk Portrait Wiki has precluded the writing of any extensively in-depth articles recently, I hope to keep sharing information whenever I can.

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William W. Kennedy / Ammi Phillips / Sturtevant Hamblin / Royall Brewster Smith / Erastus Salisbury Field / John Bradley 

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WILLIAM W. KENNEDY

It’s never a bad time to post William W. Kennedy. I wish I had a higher-quality image of this painting, but one must make do. Her landscape background is highly unusual - an ambitious move for Kennedy, who usually eschewed them in favor of quick and simple backdrops. What made this sitter special? We must wonder.

Portrait of the day: Young Lady with a Red Book, by William W. Kennedy. Though countless Kennedy paintings have gone under the hammer by another name (or no name at all), this is one of my favorites of that bunch. Offered simply as Prior-Hamblin School at Christie's in 2004, she has not reappeared since then. I do hope that she will!

Kennedy's portraits are distinguishable from his peers by the wide-set facial features, darkly outlined broad eyes, and hands with gently and consistently curved fingers. His style started out more realistic before 1845-46, then evolved towards the "flat style" pioneered by William Matthew Prior and his cohort. A direct connection between the two artists is not yet proven but extraordinarily likely. More research forthcoming.

Source: Christie's 01/16/2004 #291, in the sale of Important American Furniture, Folk Art, etc. Attributed to the Prior-Hamblin School. https://www.christies.com/lot/attributed-to-the-prior-hamblin-school-19th-century-4225855/ 

Compare: Portrait of a Young Lady with a Red Rose, signed W.W. Kennedy 1846. Sold at Skinner 11/06/2005 #319. https://americanfolkportraits.miraheze.org/wiki/WWK.SKI.11062005.319 

Compare: Portrait of a Young Lady, newly identifiable as a Kennedy, attributed to Prior at the time of sale. Via Copake Auctions 01/01/2016 #52, along with her companion portrait. https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/william-matthew-prior-1806-1873-52-c-ebd4a7895d 

Compare: Portrait of a Young Woman, offered at Doyle NY 05/02/2023 #190. Correctly attributed to Kennedy despite a spurious "Wm. Prior" inscription verso. https://doyle.com/auction/lot/lot-190---estate--collection-the-estate-of-elizabeth/?lot=1330006&so=0&st&sto=0&au=8644&ef&et&ic=False&sd=1&pp=96&pn=2&g=1 

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AMMI PHILLIPS 

I’ve actually found yet another new uncatalogued Ammi Phillips since making this post. Which, I suspect, is wildly misleading about the amount of unidentified Ammis that might actually be out there (my apologies to ambitious eBay sellers). But, before I share that one: my first-ever new Ammi discovery was this duo, ultimately identified as a trio by David Allaway, who was more diligent than myself about checking auction results. All three are very late works, and therefore somewhat lacking in the joyful sparkle of color that defined his early and middle periods. No matter; it’s still exciting to have more Phillips on the record.

This lady is so remarkably daunting that when I posted her, I found that I needed to re-crop the the picture to include the frame's gold edge, to soften her overall effect!

Today's portrait is a newfound Ammi Phillips, c. 1850. Imposing and bleak, this unidentified woman projects a strong image as the family matriarch. She turned up just a few days ago, listed as "American School," in one of my routine searches through past auctions, alongside two companion portraits, probably her husband and father-in-law. Phillips's likenesses, especially from this late period, are recognizable for their distinctive forward-leaning stances, elegantly geometric hands, and remarkably consistent poses. This consistency, with pre-designed stock compositional templates, permitted Phillips to be both very skilled and incredibly prolific. 

I have dug up various Ammi Phillips paintings before, but, inevitably, they're already accounted for in the "My People" Phillips catalogue raisonne. This time, I was puzzled that I could not locate these three in either volume. I asked David Allaway, catalogue author and expert (and a good friend), what I was doing wrong in the search. He informed me, to my great surprise, that I had actually found some new Ammi Phillips paintings! She and the other two portraits will be catalogued in "My People" in the very near future. 

Source: Portrait of a Woman with a Lace Bonnet, via Leland Little, Jun 27, 2024, #1303. https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/180278510_american-school-early-19th-century-portrait-of-a-woman-with-a-lace-bonnet-hillsborough-nc/ 

Companion piece #1: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/180278512_american-school-early-19th-century-portrait-of-a-gentleman-with-a-book-hillsborough-nc/

Companion piece #2: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/180278511_american-school-early-19th-century-portrait-of-an-older-gentleman-hillsborough-nc/

Compare: Portrait of Lucy Howe Sisson, by Ammi Phillips, sold along with her husband's portrait at Doyle NY, Oct 7, 2015, #8. https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/ammi-phillips-american-1788-1864-henry-sisson-and-8-c-1ac4f27831 

Compare: Portrait of Mrs. Lyman, of West Stockbridge, MA, by Ammi Phillips, sold Doyle NY, Nov 2, 2021, #49. https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/ammi-phillips-american-1788-1865-mrs-lyman-of-wes-49-c-38c4fa4ae5 

Compare: Portrait of a Seated Woman, attributed to Ammi Phillips, sold through Old Kinderhook Auction Company, Nov 29, 2022, #52. https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/ammi-phillips-portrait-of-a-seated-woman-52-c-32c43cb901 

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STURTEVANT J. HAMBLIN 

I actually don’t remember whether it was Paul or I that first spotted this portrait. Forgive me. A truly staggering number of Prior-Hamblin School portraits have been reviewed, discussed, and meticulously examined during our work on this group. There are too many to count! I do recall, though, how this all got started. Last year, having enthusiastically read Paul’s Sturtevant Hamblin essay (it’s now online!), I sent him an email about how I agreed that Hamblin’s contributions were undervalued. The popular “flat style” might even have been his own invention, I proposed. Perhaps we should be calling it the “Hamblin-Prior School.” Well, that hasn’t caught on yet. But there are more newly recognized Hamblin paintings in the world than ever before. 

There could possibly be a whole new Hamblin, too, if the mysterious Sixth Hand painter turns out to be one of the “Painting Hamblen” siblings. We’ll find out, I hope, in due time. There are a number of collaborative “Studio of Hamblin” portraits, showing both artists’ influence. This one, though, is squarely and solidly Sturtevant J. 

Bonus portrait of the day: This wonderful Sturtevant J. Hamblin painting, "Portrait of Ida Olivia Sawyer," recently re-attributed by Paul D'Ambrosio, at Colby College Museum of Art. Formerly mistaken for the work of Hamblin's mentor W.M. Prior, this painting is unmistakably by Hamblin's own hand. Telltale hallmarks include the symmetrical framed composition, precise linework, and the measured and calm personality of the sitter. 

Source: Colby Museum of Art, Portrait of Ida Olivia Sawyer, previously attributed to William Matthew Prior, no. 2013.518. https://museum.colby.edu/objects/7942  

Compare: Portrait of Two Children, at the Huntington Museum of Art, by Sturtevant J. Hamblin, no. 2016.25.108. https://emuseum.huntington.org/objects/55641/a-portrait-of-two-children 

Compare: Baby with Doll, at Colonial Williamsburg, attributed to Sturtevant J. Hamblin, no. 1954.100.1. https://emuseum.colonialwilliamsburg.org/objects/58220/baby-with-doll 

Compare: Portrait of a Baby, at the MFA Boston, by Sturtevant J. Hamblin, no. 48.1025. 

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/33345/portrait-of-a-baby 

https://www.oceansbridge.com/shop/museums/boston-museum-of-fine-arts/portrait-of-a-baby-1845/    

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ROYALL BREWSTER SMITH 

Full disclosure: I bid on this pair of portraits, just after I’d sent an enthusiastic pre-auction email to a friend, mentioning the unattributed Royall Brewster Smiths. “You might know the ones,” I said. Lo and behold, he did: he had won the lot. I was perfectly happy to be the underbidder. As of yet, I still do not own any Royall Brewster Smith paintings, and they don’t come up all too often - though there will be one soon, as featured in a Maine Antique Digest ad this month. While it was misnamed in print, that error has since been handily fixed, as well as restoring the sitter’s own name by a stroke of luck. But all of that ought to be a separate post. For now, enjoy this Smith – it’s one of the best I’ve seen. 

Today's portrait, attributable to Royall Brewster Smith, is one of a pair sold last year as American School. A refined example of Smith's folky style, the likeness is stylized, but does not sacrifice accuracy in the subject's facial features, producing a flattering image through an appealing sense of design. A painted chair finishes off the composition, which has appeared in his works before. Perhaps it was one of his own making: Smith is known to have worked as a carpenter.*

Smith's portraits are most identifiable by consistent poses, distinctively modeled faces and noses, and puffy balloon-like corner curtains. There is a sense of stylized roundness to Smith's shapes and forms, with smooth, uncomplicated shading.  

*See the NGA's biography: https://ngabiographies.org/biographies/royallbrewstersmith 

Source: Portraits of Husband and Wife, sold by Amelia Jeffers, 07/25/2025, #15. https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/210980040_pair-of-american-school-folk-art-oil-on-canvas-portraits-of-husband-and-wife-columbus-oh 

Compare: Portrait of a Man, one of a pair, by Royall Brewster Smith, sold Christie's NY, January 18, 1992, #330. 

http://americanartgallery.org/artist/details/view/sshow/id/537/pictureId/5473 

https://www.globalgallery.com/detail/268546/smith-a-portrait-of-a-gentleman 

Compare: Portrait of a Woman, Mar. 1831, signed by Smith, one of a pair, at Historic New England, Cogswell's Grant, no. 1991.143.1. https://www.historicnewengland.org/explore/collections-access/capobject/?gusn=2718 

Compare: Portrait of Thomas Stockin of Maine, attributed to Royall Brewster Smith, one of a pair, sold at New England Auctions 06/25/2022 #54. https://www.bidsquare.com/online-auctions/new-haven-auctions/pair-of-portraits-by-royal-brewster-smith-2942448 

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ERASTUS SALISBURY FIELD 

Most Erastus Salisbury Fields are already very obviously Erastus Salisbury Field. That is to say, there are a lot of non-Field portraits that are called “Field,” but unattributed Fields are few and far between. (I will spare you any Field puns.) The same is true with this one. The omission of the attribution was merely due to a database error at Carnegie. Someone had already figured it out in the early 90s or before. However, I think it is fair to claim half credit: she had not been corrected since the site went online! Many thanks to the Carnegie curatorial team for their prompt action, though the site catalogue update is still pending. 

This finely adorned portrait, at the Carnegie Museum of Art, is now once again attributed to Erastus Salisbury Field. It is a more solemn, understated image than Field's vibrant large-scale likenesses, but nevertheless highly recognizable. It was correctly cited as Field's work in the Carnegie's 1992 collection publication, but the attribution was mistakenly detached somewhere along the way. Now his name will be restored! 

The level of detail here is particularly superb, thanks to her lovely jewelry and extraordinarily precise necklace. The artwork was bequeathed by Edgar W. and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, prolific folk art collectors and donors, who generously distributed their findings across many American museums. They, too, may have recognized Field's hand at work. He can be easily spotted from the austere gray shading and slanted faces, long-limbed stylization of his figures, and occasional cloudy halo backgrounds behind the sitters. 

Source: Portrait of a Woman, attributed to Erastus Salisbury Field, at the Carnegie Museum of Art, no. 81.21.28. https://collection.carnegieart.org/objects/8a5f83cf-b0e3-4bf8-b7ee-1b16c236a60c

Compare: Portrait of a Woman, attributed to Erastus Salisbury Field, offered by Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers 10/24/2012 #96, one of a pair. https://www.shannons.com/auction-lot/eratus-salisbury-field-american-1805-1900-a_d2ab57a3f3 

Compare: Portrait of a Woman, by Erastus Salisbury Field, one of two, with Dan and Karen Olson Antiques. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1941544259762802&set=pb.100017217392083.-2207520000&type=3 

Compare: Portrait of a Lady, by Erastus Salisbury Field, sold at New England Auctions 06/25/2022 #56. https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/erastus-salisbury-field-portrait-of-a-lady-56-c-3544a6eb18 

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JOHN BRADLEY 

It would be a pleasure to find this painting's current whereabouts. She is spectacular. However, despite my plea, it seems unlikely: there has been no trace of her since the Frick Library took her picture. Despite the simple grayscale photo, I felt she is well worth showcasing in this series of posts. 

Bradley himself has been quite thoroughly studied. Most of his pieces have been found, and he signed a great number of them. There is not much work for me to do there, aside from tracking them all down, as best I am able. To date, there are only two other possible unattributed Bradleys that I am aware of: this one, which I am fairly confident about, and this one, which is a bit more of a toss-up. Fortunately, the reference collection grows by the day: the American Folk Portraits Wiki page on Bradley is rapidly expanding. (I am extremely grateful for the coding/formatting assistance from my fellow portrait enthusiasts!)

This superbly crisp John Bradley portrait was found in the Frick Digital Collections as "Anonymous, American School, New York." It is said to depict Sarah Ellen Hoppock Cotheal as a young woman, holding a meticulously detailed page of sheet music. Despite severe craquelure, the portrait's quality remains apparent, especially in her coiffed ringlets, beautiful brooch, lacy handkerchief, and lavish white dress. 

Bradley's portraits are identifiable by the trademark bright outlining at the edges of his elegantly shaped figures. There are other quirks - the paintwork has a precise, porcelain feeling, and a sweeping red corner curtain features in a large majority of his compositions. But the halo-like edge shading technique is by far the most distinctive aspect of a John Bradley portrait. While that trademark diminished through the 1840s, his style still remained recognizable.

The painting's last known location was the Bayard Verplanck collection, Fishkill, New York, c. 1960. If you might happen to know where it is now, please get in touch.

Source: Frick Digital Collections, via artresearch.net, no. b11988654. https://artresearch.net/resource/frick/work/991004776809707141 

Compare: Portrait of a Lady, signed by John Bradley, at the Allen Memorial Museum at Oberlin College, no. 1944.176. https://allenartcollection.oberlin.edu/objects/6256/portrait-of-a-lady 

Compare: Portrait of Mrs. Catherine Fowler, signed by John Bradley, 1836, at the Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester, no. 1997.20. https://magart.rochester.edu/objects-1/info?query%3Dmfs+any+%22fowler%22%26sort%3D9%26page%3D3 

Compare: Portrait of M.J. Fox, signed by John Bradley, 1845, at the BAMPFA (Berkeley Art Museum), no. 1974.21. https://collection.bampfa.berkeley.edu/catalog/fe527125-72c4-4c15-b3d1-de2f11ad63e5