Blackburn, Joseph (1730 or earlier–87). Painter
In the 1750s his portraiture introduced to New England rococo fashions denoting a taste for refinement, gentility, and artifice. When he arrived, Blackburn found no competition in Boston or nearby cities for his stylish, even seductive rendering of his sitters’ demeanor and attire. Their characteristically cheerful if generalized facial expressions affirm their enjoyment of material prosperity. Nothing is known of Blackburn’s origins or training, but his skill suggests experience in London, perhaps as a drapery specialist in a large studio. He painted portraits in Bermuda between mid-... ...
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