(Pennsylvania/Britain, 1783-1872)

Portrait of the Biddle Brothers, possibly Alexander (1814-1888) and Clement (1810-1879), unsigned, painted circa 1870-75, oil on canvas mounted on board, 22-1/2 x 22-11/16 in.; original carved gilt wood frame, round spandrel, 31-3/4 x 31-3/4 x 3 in.

Provenance: Sumpter Priddy III, Inc., Alexandria, Virginia, 2009 (this lot is accompanied by a copy of the original sales receipt); Private Collection

Note: According to Biddle family tradition, this engaging portrait depicts the brothers Alexander (1814-1888) and Clement (1810-1879), of Philadelphia. However, their life dates raise doubts about this attribution and leave open the question of which members of he extended Biddle family the painting does actually portray. What is not in doubt is the close association of Thomas Sully with the Biddle Family after the artist moved to Philadelphia in 1807. In all, Sully listed 26 paintings of different members of the Biddle Family of Philadelphia in the personal register he kept throughout his career. It is also well known that Sully neglected to record a number of portraits in this list, so while helpful it is not a complete catalog of his work. Other paintings, both signed and attributed do not appear in his personal records. Interestingly, recorded in his list is a portrait that he painted of the mother of the supposed sitters, Mrs. Clement Biddle (d. 1831), whom Sully painted in 1824.