Observed sale facts, comparable evidence, artist index history and modeled research remain separate.
Same-artist public sales ranked by medium, creation year, dimensions and sale recency.
| Artwork | Sale date | House | Realized USD | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait of John Cotton 1735 · oil on canvas | 1952-12-01 | — | $20,000.00 | 80% |
Similarity score is descriptive evidence ranking, not a valuation model. Every row comes from the public-rights market boundary.
Commissioned by Richard Bill (1685–1757), Boston, 1733
by descent to his son-in-law, Joshua Henshaw (1703–1777), Boston, 1757
by descent to either his daughter, Sarah Henshaw (1736–1822), or his son Joshua Henshaw (1746–1823),...
by descent through the line of either their cousin Elizabeth Bass Henshaw (1737–1787) or cousin Davi...
by descent to their granddaughter Sarah Henshaw Carruth Washburn (1836–1919), Newton Corner, MA, 186...
by descent to her daughter Gertrude Carruth Washburn Weeks (1861–1928), Boston, 1919
by descent to her husband Warren Bailey Potter Weeks (1858–1943), Boston, 1928
Commissioned by Richard Bill (1685–1757), Boston, 1733; by descent to his son-in-law, Joshua Henshaw (1703–1777), Boston, 1757; by descent to either his daughter, Sarah Henshaw (1736–1822), or his son Joshua Henshaw (1746–1823), 1777; by descent through the line of either their cousin Elizabeth Bass Henshaw (1737–1787) or cousin David Henshaw (1744–1808) to Andrew Henshaw Ward (1784–1864) and Sarah Henshaw Ward (1787–1863), Newton, MA, 1822 or 1823; by descent to their granddaughter Sarah Henshaw Carruth Washburn (1836–1919), Newton Corner, MA, 1864; by descent to her daughter Gertrude Carruth Washburn Weeks (1861–1928), Boston, 1919; by descent to her husband Warren Bailey Potter Weeks (1858–1943), Boston, 1928; sold to Vose Galleries, Boston, 1943; sold to M. Knoedler & Company, New York, 1943; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1944.
Providence, Rhode Island School of Design, Old and New England, 1945, cat. 47. Art Institute of Chicago, Two Centuries of American Art, 1750-1950, Oct. 1, 1959–Jan. 10, 1960, no cat. [downloadable checklist available].
<p>The Scottish-born painter John Smibert studied in London and Italy before settling in Boston in 1728. His skills as a trained formal portraitist were in great demand among the wealthy and powerful colonists in Boston. Richard Bill was a prosperous merchant and politically involved citizen. Smibert depicted him dressed in fashionable costume and standing next to a writing table. A large ship is visible through the window in the background. These details hint at Bill’s success and prestige.</p>
2 observed sales · 1 comparable sales · 10 structured provenance events · 2 structured exhibitions.
