Nathaniel Smybert
Nathaniel Smybert died at the age of twenty-two. He was the son of the Scottish painter John Smibert. Nathaniel grew up in a Boston studio that functioned as the first formal art centre in the American colonies. This space contained European prints and plaster casts. It provided a rare education in classical techniques for artists in the New World.
Biography
His artistic approach relied on the portraiture traditions of the British Baroque. He used poses found in the work of Anthony van Dyck. Nathaniel Smybert painted the elite of New England with a directness that differed from European styles of the time. He worked in the family studio to provide historical legitimacy to families through formal oil paintings.
Modern collectors find value in the rarity of his surviving works. His career was brief but he helped start a native art community in Boston. His portraits capture the sitters with a sense of clarity. These prints bring a piece of colonial history into a room. They are among the earliest examples of Neoclassical art produced in the colonies.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Nathaniel Smybert born?
Nathaniel Smybert was born in 1734 and died in 1756.What is Nathaniel Smybert known for?
Nathaniel Smybert is known for nathaniel Smybert was a colonial American portrait painter who trained in the first professional art studio in Boston before his early death at age twenty-two.