Humphrey Courtney

Humphrey Courtney

James Earl
Charleston, South Carolina 1794–1796
Oil on canvas
71.226
Gift of Mrs. Louise Tompkins Parker

British-born Humphrey Courtney came to fashionable Charleston following the American Revolution. Having grown up in Devonshire, Courtney brought a familiarity with European art that translated to his circa 1794 portrait by James Earl. His likeness has an ease about it unlike many others in the collection, and it conveys his economic status through the use of furnishings.