18C American Women by Joseph Blackburn 1700-1780

Although it is not certain, artist Joseph Blackburn was probably born, schooled, & died in England. He clearly was taught painting in the English Rocco portrait style & his particular skill was in painting elegant fabrics & fashions on gracefully portrayed sitters. We do know that before he came to the American colonies, he sailed first to Bermuda, where he spent 2 years painting portraits.

1753 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Mary Lea (Mrs. John Harvey).

He left that island for the potential of a broader client base in the growing Atlantic towns of the British American colonies.  He was painting actively in the colonies from 1754-1763. He arrived in Newport from Bermuda in 1754, and then traveled to Boston (1755-58), and on to Portsmouth (1758-62). He returned to London in 1763.

1754 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1753-1763). Mary Sylvester

He arrived in his first colonial American port town with a letter of introduction from a locally known and respected member of genteel society.

1754 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Abigail Chesebrough (Mrs. Alexander Grant).

The 1754 letter of introduction from a family member of one of Blackburn's former clients addressed to friends in the artist's next port-of-call encourages both Blackburn's social acceptance and his employment.

1754 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763) Lady.

Joseph Blackburn's letter of introduction to Newport society, "I hope youl excuse the liberty I shall now take of recommending the bearer Mr Blackburne to your favor & friendship, he is late from the Island of Bermuda a Limner by profession & is allow’d to excell in that science, has now spent some months in this place, & behav’d in all respects as becomes a Gentleman, being possess’d with the agreeable qualities of great modesty, good sence & genteel behaviour he purposes if suitable encouragements to make some stay in Boston, and will be an entire stranger there...shall therefore be obliged to you or friends for any civilities you are pleased to shew him, my best Compliments...to your good lady Miss Sucky and Miss Nancy & who’s Pictures I expect to see in Boston drawn by the above Gent[lema]n."

1754 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Elizabeth Pelham (Mrs. Peter Harrison).

Just like other colonial portraitists, Blackburn copied many of his poses and costumes from English mezzotints executed in the baroque style of Godfrey Kneller (1646–1723) & Peter Lely (1618–1680) and the updated rococo take of Thomas Hudson (1701–1779).

1754 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Mrs David Chesebrough.

Blackburn painted fanciful depictions of the pastoral shepherdess, lavish silk gowns, and extravagant formal urns & gardens that reflected the fantasy desires of his colonial gentry clients living far from London's easy access to excess.

1757 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Abigail Browne (Mrs. Joseph Blaney)

1760 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Eunice Fitch


1757 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Mrs James Pitts


1757 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Susan Apthorp (Mrs. Thomas Bulfinch)


1759 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Hannah Babcock (Mrs. John Bours)

1761 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Elizabeth Saltonstall (Mrs. Silas Deane)

1754 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Mrs John Pigott of Bermuda


1760 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Hannah Wentworth Atkinson


1761 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Elizabeth Browne Rogers


1762 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Portrait of a Woman


1762-63 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Mrs Samuel Cutts

Joseph Blackburn (American colonial era artist, 1700-1780) Mrs Thomas Jones

Joseph Blackburn (American colonial era artist, 1700-1780) Mrs. Knight of Gosfield

1755 Joseph Blackburn (American colonial era artist, 1700-1780) Abigail Russell Curwen

Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Ann Phillips

 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Mrs Gillam Phillips Marie Faneuil

1762 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Anne Saltenstall

1762 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Anne Saltenstall

Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763). Elizabeth Hughes

A few 18C British American women with Sheep & Lambs

Sheep began appearing in Western religious paintings early.  By the 17th century, lambs were showing up in non-religious portraits as well. These are a few of my favorites, including several early American paintings.


Anthonie Palamedesz. (Stevaerts, Stevens) (1601-1673) Child and Sheep, 1655


Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680) Lady Belasyse


Aelbert Cuyp (1620-1691) Girl with a Lamb


Elisabeth Sophie Cheron (1648-1711) Self Portrait


Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1743) Portrait of a Woman as St Agnes (Perhaps Catherine Voss)


James Francis Maubert (1666-1746) Portrait of Henrietta Duchess of Bolton


Colonial American 1730-1735 Gerardus Duyckinck (1695-1749) De Peyster Girl with Lamb


Colonial Americaqn Gerardus Duyckinck (1695-1749) Portrait Of Franks Children with Lamb 1735


Colonial American 1754 Joseph Blackburn (1700-1780) Mary Sylvester


Sir George Chalmers (1720-1791) Elizabeth and Mary Chichester


Colonial American? 1770 Cosmo Alexander (1724-1772) Girl with a Lamb


Colonial American John Durand (1731-1805) Mary Beekman


Joseph Wright Of Derby (1734-1797) Miss Frances Warren


Joseph Wright Of Derby (1734-1797) Miss Frances Warren


Colonial American 1756 John Singleton Copley 1738-1815 Ann Tyning (Mrs Thomas Smelt)


William Henesy (English 18th Century) Baptist Noel 4th Earl of Gainsborough and His Wife Elizabeth with their Children

1700s American Women with books

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1730 John Smibert (American colonial era artist, 1688-1751) Sarah Middlecroft (Mrs Louis Boucher)


During the 18th-century, more and more women learned to read.  I am not sure that all of these women could actually read, but I suspect that they could.

1731 John Smibert (American colonial era artist, 1688-1751) Margaret Mitchell 1664-1736 Mrs Stephen Sewall

1737 Gansevoort Limner Possibly Pieter Vanderlyn (Colonial era American artist, 1687-1778) Young Lady With a Fan

1747 John Greenwood (Amerian colonial era artist, 1727-1792) The Greenwood-Lee Family

1748 Robert Feke (American colonial era artist, 1707-1751) Grizzell Eastwick (Mrs. Charles Apthorp)

1750 Joseph Badger (American colonial era artist, 1708-1765) Faith Savage Waldo

1750 Joseph Badger (American colonial era artist, 1708-1765) Mrs. William Foye Elizabeth Campbell

1752 John Wollaston (American colonial era artist, 1733-1767) Mrs Philip Livingston

1753 Joseph Blackburn (fl in the colonies 1754-1763 Mary Lea (Mrs. John Harvey)

1757 John Singleton Copley (American colonial era artist, 1738-1815) Elizabeth Allen (Mrs William Stevens)

1758 John Singleton Copley (American colonial era artist, 1738-1815) Mary Alleyne Mrs James Otis

1758 Joseph Blackburn (American colonial era artist, fl 1753-1763) Mrs. Jonathan Simpson (Margaret Lechmere)

1764 John Singleton Copley (American colonial era artist, 1738-1815) Mrs. Samuel Hill, nee Miriam Kilby

1764 John Singleton Copley (American colonial era artist, 1738-1815) Mrs Anna Dummer Powell

1765 Jeremiah Theus (American colonial era artist, 1716-1774) Mary Cuthbert Mrs James Cuthbert

1765-67 John Wollaston (American colonial era artist, 1733-1767) Rebecca Bee Holmes Mrs Isaac Holmes

1766 John Singleton Copley (American colonial era artist, 1738-1815) Mrs. Nathaniel Ellery Ann Sargent

1770 Cosmo Alexander (American colonial era artist, 1724-1772) Margaret Stiles Manning

1770 Cosmo Alexander (American colonial era artist, 1724-1772) Martha Lathrop (Mrs. Ebenezer Devotion)

1770 John Singleton Copley (American colonial era artist, 1738-1815) Mrs James Russell (Katherine Graves)

1770 John Singleton Copley (American colonial era artist, 1738-1815) Relief Dowse (Mrs Michael Gill)

1770-75 Henry Benbridge (American colonial era artist, 1743-1812) Mrs Mary Cuthbert 1716-1794 Mary Hazzard wife of Dr James Cuthbert

1772 Cosmo Alexander (American colonial era artist, 1724-1772) Mary Jemima Balfour (Mrs James Balfour)

1773 Henry Benbridge (American colonial era artist, 1743-1812) Mrs Charles Coteworth Pinckney (Sarah Middleton)

1775 Charles Willson Peale (American artist, 1741-1827) Mrs James Smith with her grandson

1776 Charles Willson Peale (American artist, 1741-1827) Mrs James Latimer

1777-80 Charles Willson Peale (American artist, 1741-1827) Mrs Samuel Mifflin & granddau Rebecca Mifflin Francis

1779 Ralph Earl (American artist, 1751-1801) Mary Ann Carpenter Mrs Thompson Foster

1783 Charles Willson Peale (American artist, 1741-1827) The Artist's Mother, Mrs. Charles Peale, and Her Grandchildren

1784 Ralph Earl (American artist, 1751-1801) Anne Whiteside Earl the artist's 2nd wife

1785-90 Beardsley Limner possibly Sarah Bushnell Perkins (American artist, 1771-1831) Mrs Hezekiah Beardsley

1787 Charles Willson Peale (American artist, 1741-1827) Mary Chew (Mrs Thomas Elliott Chrysler)

1788 Charles Willson Peale (American artist, 1741-1827) Mrs Robert Gilmore with Jane and Elizabeth

1789 Christian Gullager (American artist, 1759-1826) Elizabeth Sewall Mrs Samuel Salisbury

1789 Christian Gullager (American artist, 1759-1826) Martha Saunders (Mrs Nicholas Salisbury)

1789 Christian Gullager (American artist, 1759-1826) Rebecca Salisbury Waldo (Mrs Daniel Waldo)

1790 Denison Limner probably Joseph Steward (American artist, 1753-1822) Elizabeth Denison

1790 Denison Limner probably Joseph Steward (American artist, 1753-1822) Mrs Elizabeth Noyes

1790s John Brewster (American artist, 1766-1854) Dr and Mrs Brewster

1791 Charles Willson Peale (American artist, 1741-1827) Mrs Francis Baily

1791 John Mackay or M'Kay (American artist, 1767-1807) Hannah Ackley Bush

1791 Ralph Earl (American artist, 1751-1801) Mrs John Watson

1792 Ralph Earl (American artist, 1751-1801) Mrs Joseph Wright

1794 James Earl (American artist, 1761-1796) Mrs. John Rogers (Elizabeth Rodman)

1794-96 James Earl (American artist, 1761-1796) Rebecca Pritchard and her daughter Eliza

1795 Joseph Steward (American artist, 1753-1822) Pamela Sedgwick 1753-1807

1796 Jonathan Budington 1766-1854 George Eliot and Family

1796 Ralph Earl (American artist, 1751-1801) Mrs Sherman Boardman (Sarah Bostwick)

1797 Christian Gullager (American artist, 1759-1826) Dorothy Lynde (Mrs Elijah Dix)

1797 Gilbert Stuart (American painter, 1755-1828) Ann Willing Bingham

1797 Gilbert Stuart (American painter, 1755-1828) Mary Willing Clymer

1799 Charles Peale Polk (American artist, 1767-1822) Margaret Baker Briscoe (Mrs. Gerard Briscoe)

1799 Charles Peale Polk (American artist, 1767-1822) Eleanor Conway Hite & James Madison Hite

1799 Joshua Johnson (American artist, 1763-1826) Mrs John Moale (Ellen North) & Ellin

1800 Charles Peale Polk (American artist, 1767-1822) Martha Selden Jones (Mrs. Churchill Jones) of Chatham, near Fredericksburg
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