Public collection via the Cleveland Museum of Art
AT-00010021Portrait of a Woman (Judith Colman Bulfinch?)
by John Smibert
Also known as: Mrs. Thomas Bulfinch (?); Portrait of Mrs. Thomas Bulfinch
About the Artwork
The appearance of a professionally trained British painter in the American colonies in 1729 marks a curcial point in the history of American art. Smibert not only imported the skills necessary to convey the impression of substantial, rounded forms in a picture, but his commercial success also inspired others to contemplate careers as painters. Born in Edinburgh and schooled in London and Italy, Smibert attracted numerous clients upon his arrival in Boston. The low bodice, long neck, and sinuous curl of hair in this portrait follow British conventions for depicting women. Research continues as to the identity of the sitter, long thought to be Mrs. Thomas Bulfinch (born Judith Colman, 1707-1765), since that name does not appear in Smibert's recently discovered records.
Provenance
family of the sitter Emily Hallowell, Mass. family of the sitter, to Emily Hallowell, Mass.
Exhibition history
The Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition: The Official Art Exhibit of the Great Lakes Exposition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 26-October 4, 1936).
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Quick Overview
- Artist
- John Smibert (Scottish, 1688–1751)
- Date
- c. 1734
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- Framed: 94 x 81 x 6 cm (37 x 31 7/8 x 2 3/8 in.); Unframed: 75.6 x 62.2 cm (29 3/4 x 24 1/2 in.)
- Type
- Painting
- Classification
- Painting
- Department
- American Painting and Sculpture
- Credit line
- Hinman B. Hurlbut Collection
- Accession no.
- 1920.3919
More by John Smibert in museum collections
Open-access museum record · AT-00010021
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