James Frothingham (1786–1864) "Chester Harding (1792–1866)" (biography), Worcester Art, webpage:

"Boston Painters and Paintings" (article), ''The Atlantic Monthly'', Volume 62, Issue 370, August 1888, p. 258,

LOC LOC, L.O.C., Loc, LoC, or locs may refer to: Places * Lóc, a village in Sângeorgiu de Pădure, Mureș County, Romania * Lócs, a village in Vas county, Hungary * Line of Contact, meeting place of Western and Eastern Allied forces at the e ...

webpage:
LOC-AMonthly-Boston
(notes Samuel Dexter portrait flesh tone; has Dunlap & Gilbert Stuart quote: "No man in Boston but myself can paint so good a head."). was an American

portrait painter Portrait Painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to represent a specific human subject. The term 'portrait painting' can also describe the actual painted portrait. Portraitists may create their work by commission, for public and pr ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He was the father of Sarah C. Frothingham.

Life and work

James Frothingham was born in

Charlestown, Massachusetts Charlestown is the oldest neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Originally called Mishawum by the Massachusett tribe, it is located on a peninsula north of the Charles River, across from downtown Boston, and also adjoins t ...

. He began as a

chaise A one-horse chaise A three-wheeled "Handchaise", Germany, around 1900, designed to be pushed by a person A chaise, sometimes called chay or shay, is a light two- or four-wheeled traveling or pleasure carriage for one or two people with a folding ...

painter in his father's chaise manufactory. In the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

area, he was a student of

Gilbert Stuart Gilbert Charles Stuart ( Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter from Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists. His best-known work is an unfinished portrait of George Washi ...

. In 1888, ''

The Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'' described him as "a portraitist of talent", adding that Stuart is quoted as having said of one of Frothingham's head portraits, "No man in Boston but myself can paint so good a head," and that Frothingham was greatly helped by Stuart's criticisms and encouragement, although initially his Nestor had advised him to adopt another, less precarious means of earning a livelihood. ''The Atlantic'' noted that there is a detailed portrait of

Samuel Dexter Samuel Dexter (May 14, 1761May 4, 1816) was an early American statesman who served both in Congress and in the Presidential Cabinets of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Dexter was an 1881 graduate of Harvard ...

by Frothingham in the Harvard Memorial Hall, in which Dexter, wearing a white wig and a red cloak atop a black coat, holds a book in his hand, and appears lost in meditation, saying the flesh coloring in the painting is rather dry and parchment-like, but overall, the color is harmonious. Dunlap noted that heads depicted by James Frothingham were painted with great truth, freedom, and excellence. He painted a number of likenesses in

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

, including the wealthy merchant

Elias Hasket Derby Elias Hasket Derby (August 16, 1739 — September 8, 1799) was a Colonial American merchant based in Salem, Massachusetts who owned or held shares in numerous privateers. The crews of these ships took more than 150 prizes during the American ...

. Frothingham would have been a regional competitor to the younger Chester Harding (1792–1866), but in 1826 moved to

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. In 1828 he was elected into the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the fin ...

as an Associate member, and became a full Academician in 1831. Frothingham was the subject of a portrait bust by

Joanna Quiner Joanna Quiner (August 27, 1796 – September 20, 1868) was an American seamstress and self-taught sculptor. Early life Quiner was born in Beverly, Massachusetts, the daughter of Abraham Quiner, Jr. and Susannah Camell. Career For much of her ...

. His own portrait of her is held by the Beverly Public Library in

Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...

Selection of portraits

File:Frothingham EliasHasketDerby.jpg,

, 1800-1825 File:William Badger by James Frothingham.jpg,

William Badger William Badger (January 13, 1779 – September 21, 1852) was an American manufacturer and mill owner from Gilmanton, New Hampshire. He served in both houses of the New Hampshire state legislature and was the 15th governor of New Hampshire from ...

, c. 1805 Image:Frothingham LuciaPickering.jpg, Lucia Pickering, 1820 Image:Frothingham Brooks.jpg, Elizabeth Brooks, 1823 Image:Frothingham JonathanBrooks.jpg, Jonathan Brooks, 1823 File:Mrs_Peter_Gilman_Robbins.jpeg, Mrs. Peter Gilman Robbins, c.1818

Notes

References

* "Chester Harding (1792–1866)" (biography), Worcester Art, webpage
WorcArt-Harding
* "Boston Painters and Paintings" (old article), ''The Atlantic Monthly'', Volume 62, Issue 370, August 1888,

webpage
LOC-AMonthly-Boston
* Has 1781 as birth year, and Charleston as birthplace.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Frothingham, James 1786 births 1864 deaths 18th-century American painters 18th-century American male artists American male painters 19th-century American painters Artists from Massachusetts Painters from New York City People from Charlestown, Boston 19th-century American male artists

Life and work

Selection of portraits

See also

Notes

References

External links