Focus on Portrait of Mrs. Theodore Atkinson Jr. and discuss the Provenance.
In 1762, Theodore Atkinson Jr. (1737–69) wed Frances Deering Wentworth, the sitter of this portrait. Atkinson commissioned John Singleton Copley, who had painted other portraits for his family, to paint a portrait of his new wife. In 1769, Atkinson perished from consumption, and the portrait went to Atkinson's father, Theodore, Sr. (1697–1779). When Theodore Atkinson, Sr. died in 1779, the painting was bequest to George King Atkinson (d. 1788), a cousin. The painting passed to William King (1765–1820), a nephew of George King Atkinson. His daughter, Frances Atkinson Freeman (b. 1797) inherited the painting in 1820. For decades the painting had been passed from family member to family member, but Frances Atkinson Freeman sold the painting in 1872.The painting was bought by John Fisher Sheafe (1805–82) for his brother-in-law, James Lenox. Lenox was a wealthy American philanthropist, bibliophile, and art collector. He ultimately founded Lenox Library for the public to use his books and see his art collection. The Lenox Library was demolished and the Frick Collection was built by Henry Clay Frick. Upon demolition of the Lenox Library, in 1876, the books and artwork of the Lenox Library were donated along with the contents of the Tilden Trust and Astor Library to form the New York Public Library. The New York Public Library lent it to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1938 for their John Singleton Copley exhibition. It is listed as no. 7 in the catalogue.In turn the New York Public Library auctioned off the painting as lot 4 at Sotheby's on November 30, 2005. The painting was bought by Crystal Bridges Museum. At the same auction, the Crystal Bridges Museum also bought other works that once resided in the collections of the Lenox Library and New York Public Library, including Portrait of Marquis de Lafayette and Gilbert Stuart's George Washington (The Constable-Hamilton Portrait).
James Lenox New York Public Library Lenox Library Portrait of Marquis de Lafayette Astor Library America Henry Clay Frick Sotheby's consumption Deering Frick Collection Crystal Bridges Museum Museum of Fine Arts, Boston John Singleton Copley