PORTRAIT OF THE BURROUGHS CHILDREN OF “WAVERLY”

Croom, Prince George’s County Maryland

Oil on Canvas with Original Gilt Frame

Attributed to John Beale Bordley II (1800- 1882)

Circa 1860

55” x 49” Overall

Commentary:

This charming portrait depicts the four eldest children of John William Burroughs (1825-1884) and his wife, Mary Ellen Posey (1830-1918).  Depicted from left to right are Richard (1855-1930), Caroline (1860-1907), Catharine (1853-1900), and Susan (1857-1899).  The Burroughs family resided in “Waverly,” a two-part Italianate style frame house that was constructed around 1855;[i] according to family history, the home was a wedding gift to John and Mary Ellen, who were married in 1852.[ii]  John was a well-to-do planter who had been educated at Georgetown College (now Georgetown University) and the College of St. James in Hagerstown, Maryland.[iii]  The 1860 census for Prince Georges County records John W. Burroughs, occupation “planter,” as having $19,000 in real estate holdings and $20,000 in personal holdings.[iv]

John Beale Bordley II was probably know by Burroughs, at least by reputation, before his visit to Prince George’s County in  July 1860 when he placed the following advertisement in the “Planters’ Advocate” printed in Upper Marlborough:

“Portrait Painting

Mr. J. B. Bordley, who spent some time at this place last year, is now here for the purpose of fulfilling some professional engagements, and his services may, for a short time, be availed of by the citizens of the county.  Mr. Bordley’s long and well known reputation renders his visit to the country an unusual opportunity for out citizens.”

(Thanks to Susan Pearl, Prince Georges’ County Historian for uncovering this evidence of Bordley’s multiple visits around the date of this portrait.)

The children are depicted wearing clothing typical of well-to-do families of the period.  The girls are wearing off-the-shoulder silk dresses, which was a fashion that became popular in children’s wear beginning in the 1840s and continued into the 1880s.[v]  The additional trimmings of lace and satin bows on the younger girls’ dresses and the jewels on Catherine’s dress attest to their family’s social standing.  Richard’s plaid or checked shirt is also very fashionable for the time.[vi]

John Beale Bordley II (1800-1882) was a prolific portrait painter whose career in Maryland spanned more than three decades.   A biographical sketch by art historian J. Hall Pleasants details Bordley’s career and provided the relatively scarce information available on his life. ^[vii] The son of Mattias Bordley and Susan Heath Bordley, the artist was born at Wye Island in Talbot County.   He first studied law in Philadelphia but seems to have quickly turned to painting as his principal pursuit.^[viii]  Bordley’s first recorded appearance as an artist occurred in the 1835 Baltimore City Directory, which showed that he was a painter living on Courtland Street; Bordley’s name continued to appear with occasional breaks in the City Directory through 1851.[ix]  He exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy in 1832, at the National Academy in 1843 and in 1849-1850 at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore.  Bordley was known to travel throughout Maryland in search of portrait commissions and was well regarded as a “delightful companion” and “welcome guest at the houses of the various prominent persons who sat for his portraits.”  Bordley later removed from Baltimore to Hanover County, Maryland, in the 1850s where he resided for the duration of his life.

Although it is not yet known under whom Bordley received his artistic training, it is apparent that he was influenced by the work of Thomas Sully, who painted a number of Bordley family members, and who’s style Bordley emulated in his many portraits of well-to-do Maryland men and women. ^[x]    Unlike Sully, however, Bordley’s portraits are not suffused with romanticism but retain a rather naively realistic quality that reaches back to the Peales.  The well known agriculturalist, John Beale Bordley (1727-1804), was the artist’s grandfather and a great friend of Charles Willson Peale’s.  It is possible that he received some of his early training with members of the Peale family.

The attribution of this portrait of the Burroughs children to Bordley can be made with confidence based on stylistic similarities with numerous other portraits by Bordley and, most importantly, his portrait of his wife, circa 1830.^[xi]  Research files at the Frick Art Reference Library attribute a large number of portraits to Bordley, although the great majority were unsigned, and indicate that he traveled widely in Maryland and generated commissions throughout the state.^[xii]   The distinctive poses, facial modeling, coloration, atmospheric tone of this portrait and background of this portrait are all echoed in the depiction of the Burroughs children. Many of his younger sitters can be characterized by a sense of innocence and sitters of all ages seem somewhat frozen in time and space.  While Bordley’s circumstances seem to have allowed him a more stable lifestyle than many of his peers, his works exude some of the charm found in the portraits of the numerous itinerant portraiturists of the era.

Inscriptions:

The painting was acquired from family descendents and “Burroughs” is inscribed on the reverse of the frame in period script.

Condition: The painting is unlined and in excellent condition.  The frame retains its original gilt surface and ornamentation.

Price: sold

 

 

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