Thomas Prichard Rossiter (1818-1871)
oil on canvas
A Study for the Original "Representative Merchants of America"
Which was originally painted 1857 for the Chamber of Commerce
The large original Representative Merchants of America is currently hanging at the New York Historical Society and is slightly different from this painting. When Thomas Rossiter proposed to paint this large painting, he proposed "embracing about thirty-five full length Life-size Portraits of the leading Representative Merchants of the United States" including J.J. Astor, W.H. Aspinwall, W. H. Appleton, Wm. Appleton, Joshua Bates, James Brown, James Boorman, P.C. Brooks, Peter Cooper, Thos. Cope, Erastus Corning, Alex Duncan, Albert Gallatin, Wm. Gray, Stephen Girard, Jonathan Goodhue, Robt. Gillmore, Henry Grinnell, Geo. Griswold, Philip Hone, Jas. G. King, Abbott Lawrence, N. Longworth, A.A. Low, C.H. Marshall, Robt. B. Minturn, W.B. Ogden, Geo. Opdyke, Peletiah Perit, Geo. Peabody, Thos. H. Perkins, A.T. Stewart, Jonathan Sturges, and Moses Taylor. also stated at bottom of the proposal "With space for a few others, to be named by a Committee of the Chamber of Commerce" in the large painting Rossiter ended up only putting 31 portraits, this study depicts 43 representatives.
14 1/4" x 24 1/4"
Provenance:
Property from Credit Suisse's Americana Collection