Dr. Joseph Klapp

Description

Over the course of his 70-year career, Thomas Sully painted more than two thousand portraits, including Dr. Joseph Klapp and Mrs. Klapp (Anna Milnor) (1950.1362). Joseph Klapp was born and raised in Albany, New York, but studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and settled in Philadelphia. In the portrait, Klapp rests his elbow on a medical text, indicating his profession. The books lining the background of the painting also speak to the sitter’s intellectual prowess. The image of Mrs. Klapp, painted in a harmoniously limited color scheme, emphasizes her beauty. Together, the portraits present an image of a sophisticated couple that celebrates their prosperity, intelligence, and taste.

Provenance

Commissioned from the artist by the sitter (1783–1843), Philadelphia, PA, along with a portrait of his wife, Mrs. Anna Klapp (born Milnor, 1783–1841) (1950.1362), begun June 1, 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.

Dr. Joseph Klapp

Thomas Sully

1814

Accession Number

96621

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

91.4 × 71.1 cm (36 × 28 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