Mrs. Klapp (Anna Milnor)

Description

Over the course of his 70-year career, Thomas Sully painted more than two thousand portraits, including Dr. Joseph Klapp (1950.1363) and Mrs. Klapp (Anna Milnor). Sully's portrayal of Philadelphian Anna Milnor Klapp features her Empire-style dress and stand-up collar with flourishing brushstrokes of silver, gray, and white. The fluted, monumental column in the background underscores the period taste for elegance and classical traditions. The companion portrait depicts Joseph Klapp in contemplation, emphasizing his study of medicine. Together, the portraits present an image of a sophisticated couple that celebrates their prosperity, intelligence, and taste.

Provenance

Commissioned from the artist by Dr. Joseph Klapp (1783–1843), Philadelphia, PA, husband of the sitter, along with his own portrait (1950.1363), begun June 3, 1814, and delivered September 23, 1814 [Thomas Sully papers, 1792–1871, reel N18, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, copies in curatorial object file]; by descent to his son Dr. William Henry Klapp (1817–1855), 1843; by descent to his son Dr. William H. Klapp (1849 or 1850–1924), Philadelphia, PA; by descent to his nephew Langdon Williams (1861 or 1862–1949), Philadelphia, PA, and Brookline, MA, by 1924. Richard C. Morrison, Concord, MA, by 1950; sold to M. Knoedler and Co., New York, 1950; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1950.

Mrs. Klapp (Anna Milnor)

Thomas Sully

1814

Accession Number

72375

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

92.1 × 71.5 cm (36 1/4 × 28 1/8 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by Annie Swan Coburn to the Mr. and Mrs. Lewis L. Coburn Memorial Collection