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James Earl

Portrait of Captain Samuel Packard, ca. 1795

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • James Earl, 1761-1796, American

Title

Portrait of Captain Samuel Packard

Year

ca. 1795

Medium

Oil on canvas

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • oil paint

Supports

  • canvas

Dimensions

88.9 x 74.3 cm (35 x 29 1/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Unsigned

Type

  • Paintings

Credit

Bequest of Miss Louise B. Bowen

Object Number

21.485

Projects & Publications

Publications

Selected Works

Selection VII

American Painting from the Museum's Collection, c.1800-1930

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Making It In America

October 11, 2013 - February 9, 2014

Seated casually in a Windsor chair, Samuel Packard signals his social and professional role in the new republic. The plush drapery, the decorative column, Packard’s fashionable bright-hued waistcoat all suggest that is a man of wealth. The ship in the distance and the spyglass refer to his interests in maritime trade.

A merchant and talented mariner, Packard owned 39 vessels that sailed from Providence. Around the time of this portrait, Packard had completed missions abroad for George Washington, so the ships may also allude to Packard’s diplomatic travels.

Selection VII

March 31 - May 8, 1977

Exhibition of Colonial and Federal Portraits 1730-1830 (in Honor of Colonial Dames Anniversary)

March 8, 1968

Related

James Earl

Portrait of Abigail Congdon Packard, ca. 1795

More objects +

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Portrait of Captain Samuel Packard with the accession number of 21.485. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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