Tip: move over the painting to use the lens.
Richard Bill
John Smibert · 1733
- Artist
- John Smibert (American, born Scotland, 1688–1751)
- Date
- 1733
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Size
- 127.6 × 102.2 cm (50 1/4 × 40 1/4 in.)
- Made in
- Boston
- Where to see it
- Art Institute of Chicago
Friends of American Art Collection · CC0 Public Domain · Art Institute of Chicago · image via Wikimedia Commons · see it at the museum ↗
Notes from the museum
The Scottish-born painter John Smibert studied in London and Italy before settling in Boston in 1728. His skills as a trained formal portraitist were in great demand among the wealthy and powerful colonists in Boston. Richard Bill was a prosperous merchant and politically involved citizen. Smibert depicted him dressed in fashionable costume and standing next to a writing table. A large ship is visible through the window in the background. These details hint at Bill’s success and prestige.
Text: Art Institute of Chicago (open access). Our full story for this work is coming soon.
Slow Look
- The whole picture Let your eyes wander. Where do they want to rest?
- The light Find the brightest spot. What is it showing you?
- The edges Look at what is half cut off at the borders.
- One small detail Choose one tiny thing and stay with it for a while.
- The whole picture again Step back. Has it changed for you?
About John Smibert
John Smibert was a Scottish-born painter who specialised in portrait painting and was the first academically trained artist to work in the Thirteen Colonies.
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