⊠31.1 U.S. Portraits, Men
When Johnson returned to the United States, he not only painted genre paintings but he also continued to paint portraits, which gave him a steady income. After 1880 Johnson turned to portraiture almost exclusively. During the 1880s and 1890s he painted businessmen, lawyers, university presidents, and three U.S. presidents from life. At times he also painted their wives and children.
He was also commissioned to paint posthumous portraits, often from photographs. These portraits by and large do not have the sparkle and active brushwork of those done from life. It seems that the demand for portraits of business and civic leaders (and members of exclusive men’s clubs) was so high that portrait painters would often make copies of each other’s paintings to satisfy the market for such images. In many instances, it has been difficult to render opinions for such paintings. —PH
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Hills no. 31.1.168
Henry Codman Potter
Alternate titles: possibly Bishop Potter; Bishop Potter of New York; Portrait of Bishop Potter
c.1886
Oil on canvas
27 1/4 x 22 1/8 in. (69.2 x 56.2 cm)
Initialed lower left: EJ
loading
Markings
Verso: ADShattuck stretcher keys Pat. Feb 13, 1883.
Labels
Label on verso: 655/2(?) 7422 / Bishop Potter / Eastman Johnson
Exhibitions
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Spring 1899, no. 365, [possibly, as
Bishop Potter]
.
The Union League Club of New York, New York, Portraits of Americans, February 12–14, 1903, no. 17, [possibly, as
Portrait of Bishop Henry C. Potter, owner Eastman Johnson]
.
References
Catalogue of an Exhibition of Charcoal Drawings by Eastman Johnson. New York:
Kennedy Galleries,
1920.
Exhibition catalogue (1920 Kennedy Galleries), p. 12, addendum “Paintings by Eastman Johnson" [possibly, as
Bishop Potter]
.
Benno Loewy and J. H. Dripps and others Sale. New York:
Anderson Galleries,
April 28–29, 1924.
Sale catalogue, no. 156, p. 54, as
Portrait of Bishop Potter.
Douglass, Julie M. "Lifetime Exhibition History." In
Eastman Johnson: Painting America,
by Teresa A. Carbone and Patricia Hills.
Brooklyn, NY:
Brooklyn Museum of Art, in association with Rizzoli International Publications,
1999.
Exhibition catalogue, pp. 265, 266
.
Hills Examination / Opinion
Examination date(s): 1998-01-24
Examination notes: Pink paint above collar. Graphite lines along nose, eyebrows and contour of forehead right. Worked on by EJ or someone else. Patchy paint on forehead. Under right eye, cross-hatch over light spots. Thinly painted under eyebrow. Nice massing of shadows under eyes. Tears on right 6" from top. Tears on left 10" from top. Back: ADShattuck stretcher keys Pat. Feb 13, 1883. Sticker "655/2(?) 7422 / Bishop Potter / Eastman Johnson"
Sitter Biography
Sitter: Potter, Henry Codman
Biography: Henry Codman Potter (1834–1908). “...Protestant Episcopal clergyman…born in Schenectady, New York. After graduating from the Virginia Theological Seminary he held pastorates in Troy, New York (1859–1866), at Trinity Church, Boston (1866–1868), and at Grace Church, New York (1868–1883). As bishop of New York (1887–1908) he was a major figure in the campaign against corruption in the city, and he carried on the building of the cathedral of St. John the Divine, having laid the cornerstone in 1892” [New-York Historical Society gallery label]. Potter was also one of the founders of the Century Association. Brother of Eliphalet Nott Potter, also portrayed by Johnson.
Keywords
- Portrait pose:
- Portrait sitter families:
Record last updated July 29, 2021. Please note that the information on this and all pages is periodically reviewed and subject to change.
Citation: Hills, Patricia, and Abigael MacGibeny. "Henry Codman Potter, c.1886 (Hills no. 31.1.168)." Eastman Johnson Catalogue Raisonné. www.eastmanjohnson.org/catalogue/entry.php?id=617 (accessed on March 29, 2024).