John C. Ferguson
Artist
William Merritt Chase
American, 1849–1916
Datecirca 1915
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions36 1/8 x 29 in. (91.8 x 73.7 cm)
Frame: 44 x 37 x 3 in. (111.8 x 94 x 7.6 cm)
Frame: 44 x 37 x 3 in. (111.8 x 94 x 7.6 cm)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Ferguson
Object number98.2
On View
Not on viewIn contrast to William Merritt Chase's vibrant, informal likeness of his daughter Alice (also in the Museum's collection), this commissioned portrait possesses a studied dignity and refinement. John Calvin Ferguson (1866-1945) went to China as a Methodist missionary and became a renowned scholar of Chinese art and culture, as well as an influential advisor to several Chinese governments. Chase presents Ferguson in what might be called the "learned gentleman pose." He is seated in a Renaissance chair, his hands clasping a thick book, perhaps a Bible. The color is warm, but subdued. For all its formality, the painting is a handsome portrayal of a man of keen intelligence and forthright character.Provenance**Created United States, ca. 1915; the sitter, John C. Ferguson; by descent to grandson Peter C. Ferguson, Kitty Hawk, NC: given to NCMA, 1998.Published ReferencesLa Chronique des Arts (supplement to) Gazette des Beaux-Arts, no. 1562 (March 1999), illus (b-w) 71.
"Acquisitions," North Carolina Museum of Art Annual Report (1997-98), illus. (b-w) 46.
Ronald G. Pisano, William Merritt Chase: Portraits in Oil (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2006), OP.576, discussed and illus. (color) 270.
Object Rights Statement
The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) makes images of its collection available online to support research and scholarship and to inform and educate the public. Certain works of art, as well as the photographs of those works of art, may be protected by copyright, trademark, or related interests not owned by the NCMA. The responsibility for ascertaining whether any such rights exist and for obtaining all other necessary permissions remains with the applicant. To request images and/or permissions from the NCMA, please complete our online request form.
