Description:
man; portrait; costume/uniform
Label Text:
In William Jennys' portrait of David Coffin the sitter carries an attribute that attest to his social standing. He holds a volume with the name "R. Arnald" visible on its spine, a probable reference to the English theological writer Richard Arnald (1700-1756). The more expensive three-quarter length format of this portrait is also an indication of his wealth. David Coffin was a successful entrepreneur in Newburyport, which became the wealthiest and most densely populated town in Massachusetts in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, supporting fishing and shipbuilding industries and serving as a port of call for Caribbean coastal imports and exports. Coffin was a ship owner and merchant; his store, located in Federal Street, was stocked with supplies from the cargo holds of his own ships.
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1995.2.1 |
