Dr. Jonathan Potts (1745-1781) - Henry Benbridge

Allan and Sallie Bulley Fund

"Dr. Jonathan Potts (1745-1781)" by Henry Benbridge (1770–76) Oil on canvas.

Commentary

"Dr. Jonathan Potts (1745-1781)" by Henry Benbridge (1770–76) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Its painted surface guides your eye through color, brushwork, and contrast rather t han through narrative alone. Themes to notice include painting. This piece is held in the source collection's Arts of the Americas collection. Henry Benbridge is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Henry Benbridge American, 1743–1812. The work is cataloged within a Philadelphia cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as painting, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Oil on canvas) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (61.6 × 48.9 cm (24 1/4 × 19 1/4 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include painting. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/119985

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data