Portrait Painter

January 3

Carl Robert Keyes Daily Advert Update , , , , , ,

What was advertised in a colonial American newspaper 250 years ago today?

South-Carolina Gazette and Country Journal (January 3, 1775).

“Late Pupil to Sir JOSHUA REYNOLD’s, of Leicester Fields, LONDON.”

When John Grafton migrated to Charleston, he introduced himself to his new community with an advertisement in the South-Carolina Gazette and Country Journal.  Like many other artists and artisans, he emphasized his training and credentials since prospective clients were not familiar with him by reputation.  In addition to being a “PORTRAIT PAINTER,” Grafton was “Late Pupil to Sir JOSHUA REYNOLD’s, of Leicester Fields, LONDON.”  Grafton expected that at least some readers would recognize the name of one of the most influential English portrait painters of the eighteenth century.  Reynolds was one of the founders of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768 and served as its first president.  The following year, George III knighted him.  Grafton sought to benefit from the acclaim achieved by his mentor, asserting that since “he has been under one of the first Masters of that Art in England, and having made [painting portraits] his principal Study for a Number of Years, he shall be able to give general Satisfaction.”  For those who needed more convincing, he had “several Specimens of his Performance on display” for their inspection.

After conferring with other artists in South Carolina, Grafton realized that he likely would not have “constant employ” solely from commissions for portraits.  “[B]eing unwilling to let any Tim slip unimproved” and needing to support himself, he intended to offer lessons in drawing.  Grafton announced that he reserved two days each week for giving “Instructions at his Academy.”  Many tutors, especially those who taught dancing and French, advertised private lessons. Grafton did the same for those who wished to learn to draw, indicating that they could be “initiated at their Houses.”  He also presented his services to schoolmasters and -mistresses interested in adding drawing to their curricula.  What could pupils expect from their lessons with Grafton?  He confidently asserted that he “will engage to make any one that has some Instructions in Drawing, or has the least Genius for Painting, capable of taking their own, or any Person’s Likeness with Crayons, in less than three Months.”  Students could assess their own progress relative to this claim, entering their lessons with the understanding that their skills should improve within months rather than over years thanks to “the most easy and agreeable Manner” of Grafton’s instruction.  They could learn “one of the politest Arts” from a student of an acknowledged master, an endeavor that had its own cachet for the “Ladies and Gentlemen” of South Carolina.

May 20

Carl Robert Keyes Daily Advert Update , , , , , ,

What was advertised in a colonial American newspaper 250 years ago today?

May 20 - 5:20:1768 Connecticut Journal
Connecticut Journal (May 20, 1768).

“JOHN DURAND, Portrait Painter, INTENDS to Stay in this Town part of the warm Season.”

Advertising in local newspapers was imperative for John Durand, an itinerant portrait painter. Since he regularly moved from town to town he did not build up a clientele in a community that considered him one of its own.  Instead, Durand earned his living by traveling from place to place, setting up temporary studios where he served “any Gentlemen or Ladies” who “choose to have their Pictures Drawn.”  When he arrived in New Haven late in the spring of 1768, he placed an advertisement in the Connecticut Journal to inform the community that he “INTENDS to Stay in this Town part of the warm Season.”  He would engage as many clients as possible but then move along to another town once he determined that the local market had been satisfied.

To convince potential clients to commission his services, Durand invited them to visit “Captain Camp’s House, where several of his Performances may be seen.”  Before sitting for their own portrait or drawing, “any Gentlemen or Ladies” could examine Durand’s portfolio and determine for themselves whether they appreciated his style or considered his abilities sufficient to merit the time and expense of sitting for a portrait. In addition, the artist made an appeal to price, noting that he would create their likenesses “a good deal cheaper than has yet been seen.”  As he moved from town to town, he may have inquired about prices charged by his rivals. Even if he did not offer the best bargain possible, he likely did not set rates so high that prospective clients would choose to wait for the next itinerant portrait painter to pass through town.  He also invited clients to dictate some of the terms of service.  They could visit his temporary studio in his lodgings “at Captain Camp’s House” or summon him to their own residences, asserting their own social standing in the process.

Unlike artisans who worked in one location for years or decades, this artist could not rely on the familiarity of friends and associates for word-of-mouth recommendations that enhanced his reputation over time and, as a result, attracted new customers to an established studio.  As much as he may have wished to stay in one place and accrue such advantages, the market for portraits and drawings in colonial America did not afford him that opportunity.