Portrait of George Raincock

DatePossibly 1838

Artist/Maker John James Crawley (1784-1844)

MediumOil on canvas

DimensionsUnframed: 30 1/8 x 25 1/8in. (76.5 x 63.8cm) and Framed: 38 1/2 x 33 1/4 x 3in.

Credit LineGift of the Sealantic Fund

Object number1984-151

DescriptionA half-length portrait of a seated man turned 3/4 to the right and seated sideways in a side chair. His far arm rests over the crest rail of the chair and, in that hand, he holds a glove. A red drape covers the UL half of the picture, forming a background for the sitter and falling from the UR corner to the LL corner. The base of a column and blue sky are visible between the drape and the righthand edge of the picture. The sitter has reddish hair and wears a yellow waistcoat with a black coat and white ruffled shirt.
InscribedA letter once glued to the back of the lining canvas (removed to the file by conservator Cleo Mullins in 1985) reads: "Norfolk Va. 28th October 1840/ Mr. George H. Jones/ Petersburg,/ Dear Sir/ Permit me to introduce to your acquaintance, one of mine of more than twenty years/standing. Mr. John Crawley professor of the fine art of/ painting, a specimen of which both you and my Daughter/ have frequently seen, to wit, mine and Mrs. R's portraits.// He visits Petersburg for the purpose of seeking employ=/ ment in the line of his profession. He is also well quallified to/keep a Drawing School being an excellent landscape painter./ He taught several young Ladies of Mrs. Jones' acquaintance/ among them the Miss Seldens, Miss Kleins & Mrs. Sharp/ when Mary Ann Schoolfields, whose drawings do ample/ justice to his merits as a Teacher.----// If you can in any way further his [views?] as well/as his Daughter, also an artist in Miniature painting, and who/ has been sometime residing in your Town, you will greatly/oblige me and mine./ Very resspectfully I remain/Yours etc. etc./ George Raincock".

A second, smaller note once glued to the back of the lining canvas directly below the letter cited above, was also removed to the file by conservator Cleo Mullins in 1985; it reads: "My children/ Your father's sister, Ann [missing middle name]/ Jones, of Petersburg has a/ miniature of your Grand[ma?]/ then Jones, painted on/ Ivory which she had made/ as a Brooch--and which/ is an admirable likeness --/ It was painted by/ 'Mary Crawley' to whom the above letter refers./ Frances J. Jones/ daughter of George Raincock".
ProvenanceThis piece was owned by Archibald M. McCrea and Mary Corling Johnston McCrea when they lived at Carter's Grove outside of Williamsburg, VA. The portrait remained in the home when the house was purchased by Winthrop Rockefeller and the Sealantic Fund in 1969. The house and its contents were then given to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in 1970.