Name/Title
George SutherlandEntry/Object ID
2014.1.1Description
Portrait of George Sutherland (1793-1879) when he was 39 years old, as recorded on the back of the canvas. The oil on canvas painting depicts a man in early middle-age seated in a Windsor armchair with a column behind. The rest of the background is olive green. He has dark hair and eyes and is wearing a dark coat with gold-colored buttons, black stock, white shirt, and gold vest. In his left hand, he is holding a sheaf of papers representative of his position as Town Clerk in Saco.Context
Sutherland worked as a boy in the office of the newspaper "The Freeman's Friend", as a hatter, and later in the Pepperrell Mills for fourteen years. Sutherland also served as the Town Clerk for Saco in 1832, 1836, and 1838. He married Joanna Foss of Saco on September 11, 1814 and the couple had seven children.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
UnidentifiedAttribution
Attributed to Alpheus ChapinRole
PainterDate made
circa 1832Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
InscriptionLocation
On reverse.Transcription
"Geo. Sutherland/ Ae. 39/ Pi[nx]it. A Chapin"Material/Technique
PaintedNotes
Inscription painted in artist's hand. No longer visible after relining.Dimensions
Dimension Description
OverallHeight
35-1/2 inWidth
29-1/4 inDimension Description
SightHeight
30-1/2 inWidth
24-3/4 inInterpretative Labels
Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
George Sutherland, 1832
Attributed to Alpheus Chapin (1787-1870)
New England, possibly Boston or Saco
Oil on canvas
Gift of Darrel E. Sass, Jr. in memory of Kenneth Sutherland McCann and in honor of Constance McCann Sass
George Sutherland (1793-1879) of Saco began work at age 12 as a printer at the Freeman’s Friend, a Saco newspaper. In 1810, he began keeping records for Reverend Jonathan Cogswell of the First Parish Congregational Church in Saco, handling the clerical duties usually carried out by the pastor himself. Sutherland maintained his position as record keeper for the church, including keeping the congregation’s burial log until 1830, when he was appointed Town Clerk. At that time, Benjamin Hall took over the recording of burials for the church.
