Joseph Pemberton

James Claypoole, Jr. (ca. 1743-before 1815) Title Joseph Pemberton Date ca. 1767 Medium Oil on canvas Dimensions 50 1/2 x 41 in. (128.3 x 104.1 cm.) Credits Gift of Henry R. Pemberton Accession Number http://www.pafa.org/museum/The-Collection-Greenfield-American-Art-R...

...The pendant portraits of Joseph Pemberton and his young wife, Ann, (1968.6) were most likely painted in honor of their marriage in 1767. Joseph Pemberton was the son of Israel Pemberton, a prominent Quaker and one of the richest merchants in Philadelphia. Venturing south to court a potential wife, Joseph visited relatives in New River, Maryland; after meeting Ann Galloway, he traveled no further. This lavish portrait displays not only the artist's desire to showcase his painting skill in the elegant mode popular in England, but also Joseph Pemberton's extravagant tastes. The graceful yet casual poses are typical of fashionable European portraits, while the clothing and other accoutrements indicate the sitters' wealth and social status....http://www.pafa.org/museum/The-Collection-Greenfield-American-Art-R...