“Portrait of Betsy Sutherland,” Ammi Phillips (1788-1865), c. 1830

CT House Histories, LLC, knows the portrait sitter was Betsy Sutherland and that she was painted by American folk artist Ammi Phillips (1788-1865), but the genealogical research firm does not know all of her owners. CT House Histories hopes to develop an accurate provenance for “Portrait of Betsy Sutherland,” which was painted by Phillips in 1830 in Litchfield County, Connecticut, according to the brief information supplied by its current owner.

Information supplied by iGavel Auctions, an online auction site, reads:

“1062655 – Ammi Phillips, MA, 1788 – 1865, ‘Portrait of Betsy Sutherland’, c. 1830 Litchfield, County, O/C L2QL4 

“Description:  Ammi Phillips, Curtisville, MA  1788-1865, Known as the Border Limner, Kent Limner, ‘Portrait of Betsy Sutherland, Painted c. 1830, Litchfield Co, Conn’, Oil on canvas, unsigned, purchased by present owner from the John Gordon Gallery, 37 W. 57th, N.Y.C, June 1980, with copy of original receipt. Note: this item is the property of Shirley H. Coci of Texas. The contents of her home were previously offered for sale at Kuehnert’s auction on October 18, 2007. This piece did not meet the reserve used at that time, and is now being offered for sale through Litchfield County Auctioneers.”

It was sold through Litchfield County Auctioneers for $10,312.

Many of Ammi Phillips’ portraits were retained by generations of a sitter’s family until they were sold through probate or estate sales.

Anyone with information on the line of ownership is asked to contact CT House Histories at 203-856-6270 or cthousehistories@aol.com.