Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2013.002.1 |
Object Name |
Painting |
Description |
Portrait of Dr. Samuel Farnsworth and wife, Nancy Mussey, daughters Harriet and Caroline, and sons George and Charles. Their high-fashion clothing is indicative of their social status, and objects in their hands (books, a fruit, sheet music) reflect education. Farnsworth was the son of Bridgton's first physician, and build a Federal style house in North Bridgton in 1825 (which is still standing on Harrison Road and is now owned by Eric Johnson). Frame not original. Samuel Farnsworth, Jr., MD (1792-1842), was the son of Bridgton's first physician, Samuel Farnsworth (1767-1817), attended Bridgton Academy. He then studied medicine with his father, assuming his practice in 1817. Dr. Farnsworth remained in medical practice in Bridgton his entire life, and was prominent in town affairs as a selectman, town clerk and treasurer. He was esteemed for his personal qualities and medical skill, and was a trustee of Bridgton Academy. The artist, George Washington Appleton, was born in Maine but moved to Boston in 1829 and began to achieve recognition before he fell ill with consumption and died at age 26. He painted mostly single portraits. The Farnsworth Family is considered his finest endeavor. He was related to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's second wife, Fanny Appleton. |
Date |
1827 |
Artist |
George Washington Appleton |
Dimensions |
H-37 W-48 inches |
Credit line |
Museum Purchase Thanks to the Generosity of the Carl M. Lindberg Family Foundation |