Charles Pinckney

Artist/Maker
Benbridge, Henry
Place Made
Charleston South Carolina United States of America
Date Made
1774-1775
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
HOA: 30″; WOA: 25″
Accession Number
1140.1
Description
SITTER: Charles Pinckney (1699-1758), like so many Charlestonians of wealth, was educated in England, read law and returned to South Carolina where he served as speaker of the Commons House of Assembly. He was commissioned by Governor Robert Johnson as Advocate-General in the court of Vice-Admiralty in 1732. Governor Glen appointed Pinckney as Chief Justice in 1752, an office in which he served well for six months after which he was superseded by Mr. Leigh who arrived in Charles Town with a commission for the office from the Crown. Pinckney first married Elizabeth Lamb (d.1744). Upon her death, he married Elizabeth (Eliza) Lucas (1722-1793).

Eliza is well-known for her agricultural experiments, particularly her successful cultivation of indigo and silk. Three surviving children from the second marriage were Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1746-1825), Thomas Pinckney (1750-1828), and Harriott Pinckney (1748-1830). Harriott married Daniel Horry, rice planter of Hampton Plantation. Pinckney sailed with his wife and children to London in April of 1753 to enter his sons in school. Several interesting references to Pinckney are to be found in Peter Manigault’s letters to his mother, including references to Pinckney’s dislike of England and his reluctance to play Whist for money. Pinckney, Eliza, and Harriott returned to South Carolina in May 1758. He contracted a fever shortly thereafter and was dead by July. He was buried in St. Philip’s churchyard.

This is a posthumous portrait of Charles Pinckney (1699-1758). It is based upon an earlier portrait by an unknown artist now in the collection of the Gibbes Museum of Art (Gibbes acc. 2006.002). The dimensions of this portrait match Benbridge’s two portraits of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1746-1825) and his wife, Sarah (Middleton) Pinckney (1756-1784), suggesting that the three paintings were part of a singular commission. Benbridge chose to alter Pinckney’s dress from the earlier portrait in an effort to bring it up to date and into harmony with the portraits of Charles and Sarah. The portrait of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery (NPG.67.1); the portrait of Sarah (Middleton) Pinckney (Gibbes acc. 1990.018).

ARTIST: Henry Benbridge (1743-1812) was born in Philadelphia. His parents were James and Mary (Clark) Benbridge. Widowed, the artist’s mother married a Scottish merchant in about 1750. Benbridge received a classical education at the Academy of Philadelphia. He showed a natural talent for painting and was encouraged by his stepfather. He may have received training from John Wollaston (1710-1775), who painted Gordon’s portrait. He may have also studied with Matthew Pratt (1734-1805) in Philadelphia. One of his most accomplished early works is a family portrait now in the collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA acc. 1987.8)

At age 21 Benbridge set sail for Europe where he studied in Rome under Pompeo Batoni (1708-1787) and Anton Raphael Mengs (1728-1779) and in London under fellow-Pennsylvanian Benjamin West (1738-1820). It is possible that Benbridge is among those portrayed in West’s studio in Matthew Pratt’s “The American School in London” in the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA acc. 97.29.3) In 1769 Benbridge exhibited at the London Free Society of Artists and in 1770 he works were hung in the Royal Academy Exhibition. In London, Benjamin Franklin sat for a portrait by Benbridge.

Returning to Philadelphia in 1770, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1771. At this time he probably met his wife-to-be, Esther “Hetty” Sage (d.1776), a portrait miniaturist who had had some instruction from Charles Wilson Peale. By May 1772 the two were married. Henry moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and his wife, mother-in-law and young son joined him the next year. Portraits of the Bulloch, Tannatt, and Wylly familes of Savannah suggest that the family also spent time in Savannah during the early 1770s. Hetty died about 1776.

Along with other American sympathizers, Henry Benbridge was exiled on the Prison Ship Torbay in 1781, but was released by late 1782, when he was again in Philadelphia. While there, he did several conversational portraits of his family and others, but returned to Charleston by 1784. References to Benbridge in Charleston after this date are numerous. Later, Benbridge moved to Norfolk where his son lived. At this time he was in poor health, but continued to paint, attributing his strength to “Balsmic Cough Elixir”. While in Norfolk, Benbridge painted a portrait of Thomas Sully, who noted that the artist was held in high esteem in that city. Only two paintings are known to survive from Benbridge’s Norfolk period, both in MESDA’s collection: a group portrait of the Taylor family (acc. 2938) and a group portrait of the Lamb family (acc. 2943). Benbridge died in 1812 and was buried in Philadelphia.

COSTUME: The loose robe worn by Pinckney is called a banyan and with the turban in this portrait, presents the gentleman in an informal dress working on his law papers.

RELATED OBJECTS: MESDA owns numerous portraits by Henry Benbridge. These include a posthumous portrait of Charles Pinckney (acc. 1140.1); a portrait of Rachel (Moore Allston (2023.11); a portrait of Captain Albert Roux and his mother (acc. 3263); group portrait of the Taylor family (acc. 2938) and a group portrait of the Lamb family (acc. 2943). MESDA also owns a portrait miniature of Lady Ann (Moodie) Houston Attributed to Hetty Benbridge (acc. 3352.2).

FRAME: The painting is housed in its original gilt frame.

DESCRIPTION: Oil on canvas portrait of a gentleman with dark eyes, dark complexion and a shaven head, who is facing half-right with hands folded resting on a table . His right hand holds a quill pen and the left is holding a document with a name written thereon. He wears a white loose collar shirt with deep red robe and turban of the same red material, and sits in a chair upholstered in a red-brown fabric with brass tacks. The background is a dark green drapery to the left and books on the right.

Artist Biography
ARTIST: Henry Benbridge was born in Philadelphia in 1743 and given a good classical education by his stepfather, Thomas Gordon, a prominent merchant. Gordon, painted by John Wollaston, encouraged is stepson’s artistic abilities. Possibly also encouraged by Wollaston (several of Benbridge’s early portraits reflect a Wollaston style) and possibly trained briefly by Matthew Pratt, Benbridge went to Rome, perhaps after a brief sojurn in London and some study under Benjamin West. By 1765, he was in Rome where, scholars believe, he studied with Popeo Battoni and, perhaps, Mengs. Benbridge returned to London in 1769, taking lodging close to West and exhibiting in the London Free Society of Artists exhibit. In London, Benjamin Franklin sat for a portriat by Benbridge, and the artist also exhibited at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1770.
Returning to Philadelphia in 1770, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1771. At this time he probably met his wife-to-be, Esther (Hetty) Sage, a miniaturist who had had some instruction from Charles Willson Peale. By May 1772 the two were married. Henry moved to Charles Town, South Carolina, and his wife, mother-in-law and young son joined him the next year. Hetty probably died shortly after her arrival, as Benbridge’s correspondence no longer mentions her.
Along with other American sympathizers, Benbridge was exiled on the Prison Ship Torbay in 1781, but was released by late 1782, when he was again in Philadelphia. While there, he did several conversational portraits of his family and others, but returned to Charleston by 1784. References to Benbridge in Charleston after this date are numerous.
Later, Benbridge moved to Norfolk where his son lived. At this time he was in poor health, but continued to paint, attributing his strength to Balsmic Cough Elixir. While in Norfolk, Benbridge painted a portrait of Thomas Sully, who noted that the artist was held in high esteem in that city. Benbridge died in 1812 and was buried in Philadelphia.
Credit Line
Purchase Fund