$39,975
Paul Revere, Jr. (Boston, 1734-1818) Portrait of Major John Pitcairn on Horseback. Signed "P. Revere del." l.r., and inscribed "Major John Pitcairn" in the same hand l.r., both outside of the border. Watercolor on laid paper, 6 1/2 x 5 in., with applied marbled paper border in a period molded giltwood frame. Condition: Toning, light creases, minor foxing. Provenance: According to typed inscriptions applied to the back of the frame the painting came from the estate of Duncan Phyfe, grandson of the late cabinet maker and from whom he inherited the painting. Note: Major John Pitcairn, A Scottish-born officer in the British Marines, was sent to Boston in late 1774 with 600 marines under his command to help quell the unrest which had been brewing in the colonies. Taxation by the British Parliament, and events such as the "Boston Massacre" in March of 1770, had helped fuel the colonists' fire. Although unsympathetic to the Provincial cause, Pitcairn endeared himself to the people he dealt with during the conflict by organizing civic improvements, and by showing fairness, consideration, and courtesy in settling disputes between the civilians and the military. He even won the respect of rebel colonist Paul Revere and his neighbor, an anti-British tailor named Samuel Shaw, at whose North End home Pitcairn was billeted at when martial law was imposed in Boston. It is reported that Pitcairn hosted social events at Shaw's house in which he invited British officers and opposi Read more…
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2014-03-02
