Document inscribed by John Marshall, Francis Corbin and John Buchanan

Date1816-1817

Maker John Marshall (1755-1835)

Maker Francis Corbin (1759 - 1821)

Maker John Buchanan (1772 - 1844)

OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania (probably) or Virginia

MediumInk on laid paper

DimensionsOverall (irreg.): 3 3/4 x 7 1/16in. (9.5 x 17.9cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1958-3,B

DescriptionA small piece of laid paper, much folded and creased in the past, on which appear several lines in brown ink in script in three different hands. See "Inscriptions" for wording.
Label TextEver since it was written, this unusual document appears to have accompanied the portrait it references: Thomas Sully's 1815 portrait of Patrick Henry (1736-1799). Why was such a document thought desireable or necessary?
The answer lies in the scarcity of life portraits of Henry and in the relative inaccessability of the few that existed. Historians and patriots have diligently sought credible images of Henry from the time of his rise to fame in colonial times through the present day. William Wirt (1772-1834) commissioned Sully's 1815 portrait so that engravings made after it could be used to illustrate his biography of Henry, which first appeared in 1817. But by then, Henry had long since died, and the artist faced a dilemma: he could hardly "invent" a physiognomy, particularly in view of Henry's notoriety, stature, and reputation. His solution was to base his likeness on a miniature of Henry done from life by his own brother, Lawrence Sully (1769-1804). Yet the difficulties of enlarging such a small-scale image coupled with Thomas's lack of familiarity with Henry nearly guaranteed public skepticism about the portrait's verisimilitude. Thus someone, probably Wirt, persuaded three men who had known Henry personally to issue statements regarding the portrait's degree of "likeness."
InscribedThe piece of paper is inscribed in brown ink in script in three different hands as follows: "I have been shown a painting of the late Mr. Henry/painted by Mr. Sully now in possession of Mr. Webster/which I think a good likeness/J Marshall/Dec. 30th 1816/I agree with Mr. Marshall in his opinion/above expressed/Francis Corbin/Jany 2d 1817/I agree with the above Gentlemen in/their opinion respecting the late Mr Henry's/likeness/7th Jany 1817 John Buchanan".
On the reverse, in pencil, in script, is "Certificate/to [? one word illegible]/of Sully/Portrait."
No watermark found.

MarkingsSee "Inscriptions."
ProvenanceIt is believed this document has accompanied the portrait it documents (CWF acc. no. 1958-3, A, Thomas Sully's 1815 portrait of Patrick Henry) from the time the document was created in 1816-1817, although this has not been verified. Both document and portrait were sold at auction in 1910 (see Henkels in "Bibliography"), when they were acquired by Charles L. Hamilton of Philadelphia. Both were acquired from the estate of Hamilton's widow, Olivia P. Hamilton.