The Cleveland Museum of Art
Nathaniel Hurd
Description
Hurd was a prominent silversmith and engraver in Boston, and the warm gaze and unforced smile in his portrait by Copley suggest the friendship between the two artists. Hurd's open-collared shirt, as well as the rakishly tilted turban that covers his shaved head in place of a ceremonial powdered wig, create an air of informality that is unusual for a portrait of this time.
Provenance
Benjamin Hurd [1739-1781], Halifax, Nova Scotia, by descent to his son, John Hurd; John Hurd, Halifax, Nova Scotia, by descent to his two daughters; Daughters of John Hurd [d. by 1860], Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Mrs. Thomas Barry; Mrs. Thomas Barry [d. 1869], Halifax, Nova Scotia, by gift to Walter Wesselhoeft; Walter Wesselhoeft [1838-1920], Cambridge, MA, consigned to the Copley Gallery; (Copley Gallery, Boston, MA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
Dimensions
76.2 × 64.8 cm
Movement / Period
Accession No
1915.534
Official Citations
Curatorial Affinity Stream
Continuing the Universe of John Singleton Copley (American, born The Thirteen Colonies, 1738–1815)
American Painting and Sculpture • America • Harmonious Works & Contemporaries
Continuous Discovery