FOLLOWER OF BENJAMIN BLYTH
America, Early 19th Century
Portrait of Judge John Lowell (1743–1802) depicted at the tomb of his first wife, Sarah Higginson Lowell. Known as "The Old Judge," John Lowell was the patriarch of the Boston Lowell family. Unsigned. By tradition, this painting is attributed to Blyth, but it is likely an early copy of Blyth's original pastel portrait. This is believed to be the only known portrait of Lowell in existence.
Oil on canvas, 21" x 17". Framed 25" x 20".
Provenance:
An important New England collection.

Illustrated:
Cover illustration for "The Descendants of Judge John Lowell of Newburyport", published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.

Notes:
This information courtesy of Bettina A. Norton, whose research is in her book on Benjamin Blyth. She can be reached at toninorton1@gmail.com:
This oil portrait of Lowell, offered by Christie, Manson & Woods International Inc., in its sale of April 24, 1981, was attributed to “Benjamin Blythe” with a disclaimer on authenticity for good reasons: it is atypical of Blyth, more smoothly modeled than most of his portraits in oil, and with background details, the drapery and an obelisk memorializing the death of Lowell’s first wife, Sarah, when it was painted poses a problem. Although the date of Sarah’s death on the obelisk is correct, her age was not; she was twenty-eight, not thirty-three. If the painting were done when Lowell was still alive, it presumably would have had the correct death date for his wife. However, the composition and the draftsmanship of the face bespeak Blyth, and the age of the sitter dates the portrayal to the mid-1770s. One possibility is that the oil was based on a pastel by Blyth and that the obelisk may have been added at that time, along with the background drapery. Provenance would help solve the question, but a valid surmise is that it was painted for one of the children by his first marriage. According to a recent owner, this painting was reframed at some point and may have had some restorative repainting.

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age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction.