New-York Historical Society presents From Colony to Nation. 200 Years of American Painting, an exhibition on view May 31, 2013 – September 08, 2013.
Thomas Buttersworth (English, 1758-1842), Escape of H.M.S. Belvidera from the U.S. Frigate President, ca. 1815, Oil on canvas, 16 x 22 in. (40.6 x 55.9 cm), Bequest of Irving S. Olds, 1963.58
This exhibition of American art, drawn from the New-York Historical Society’s venerable collections, presents a chronological and thematic survey of masterworks ranging in date from 1720 to 1917. Included are Colonial, Federal and Gilded Age portraits; Hudson River School landscapes; marine and maritime paintings, with a focus on works inspired by the War of 1812; and genre, history, and narrative subjects.
Weaving throughout the installation will be a medley of artist portraits that traces American masters from Benjamin West’s London studio to the mid-nineteenth century ateliers of New York. Highlights include works by Gerardus Duyckinck, Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart, Benjamin West, Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Birch, Thomas Buttersworth, William Sidney Mount, John F. Kensett, John Singer Sargent and Childe Hassam. www.nyhistory.org