The Sharples

"The Sharples: Their Portraits of George Washington and His Contemporaries" is an essential exploration of the artistic legacy of the Sharples family, whose pastel portraits remain some of the most enduring images of the American founding generation. Authored by Katharine McCook Knox, this work meticulously documents the travels and artistic output of James Sharples and his family during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

The narrative focuses on the unique technique and prolific output of the Sharples family, who arrived in the United States from England to capture the profiles of political leaders, military heroes, and society figures. Central to the work is their renowned depiction of George Washington, alongside other key contemporaries such as Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. Knox provides a rich biographical context for the artists while offering a comprehensive catalog of their surviving works, many of which provide the most accurate visual records of these historical figures.

Combining art history with American history, this volume serves as a vital resource for scholars and enthusiasts of early American portraiture. It highlights the intersection of art and identity in the nascent United States, showcasing how the Sharples' intimate and precise pastel technique helped define the visual history of the Federal era.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.