Artwork Details
36-1/4 x 28-1/4 in. (canvas) 40-3/4 x 32-3/8 x 3 in. (framed/optium)
Accession NumberGift of Roger Gould Wolcott
CopyrightAmerican Painting and Sculpture 1800-1945
Color PalettePurchased by Roger Gould Wolcott at an auction in 1951 where the contents of the Lyon's home were sold in Attica, Indiana. {1}; given to the John Herron Art Institue, Indianapolis, Indiana, now the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, in 1951. {1} Recods state that it was in the collection of Minnie Parker of Attica.
- The seated half-length figure against a plain background is a common format for early American portraits.
- Hays included details that show the social and professional refinement of his subject. Dr. Lyons's elegant hands are emphasized by contrasting his skin tones against his dark clothing. The book on his lap is a symbol of higher learning and his own accomplishments.
- Hays was a self-taught painter when he moved to northern Indiana around 1850. He painted Dr. Lyons during this very early part of his career, before moving to Indianapolis in 1858.
Exhibition Name
Venue
Dates
American furniture from the Collection 1740-1870
Indianapolis Museum of Art
August 28, 1999 - September 15, 2002
American Paintings & Furniture from the 18th and 19th Centuries
Indianapolis Museum of Art
October 24, 1999 - September 24, 2000
The First Hundred Years of Indiana Painting
John Herron Art Institute and Museum
October 4, 1966 - November 13, 1966
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