Lot Essay
This portrait depicts a young Charles H. Mallory of Mystic, Connecticut and Brooklyn, New York. He is set against a seascape with a periscope in hand, a nod to the family’s business. Mallory, born to his father and namesake Charles (1796-1882), would inherit the family’s fleet of fishing vessels. He transformed the business into a shipping and shipbuilding empire which serviced deliveries and trips between New York and the Southern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. The company grew to become the third largest operator in the United States.
An itinerant painter who was born in Guilford, Connecticut, Isaac Sheffield worked in New York City and along the Connecticut coast before settling in New London in 1838. He is best known for his portraits of sea captains and his expressive renderings of facial features and eyes.
An itinerant painter who was born in Guilford, Connecticut, Isaac Sheffield worked in New York City and along the Connecticut coast before settling in New London in 1838. He is best known for his portraits of sea captains and his expressive renderings of facial features and eyes.