biography of William JENNYS (1774-1859)

Addresses: Active briefly in NYC, but primarily in New England

Profession: Itinerant portrait painter

Work: Shelburne (VT) Mus.; Wm. A. Farnsworth Lib. & Art Mus., Rockland (ME); Westfield (MA) Atheneum

Comments: Worked in and around New Milford (CT) in mid-1790s and in NYC in 1797-98. He came at least as far North as Middlebury (VT) and spent his last years in Newburyport (MA). Previously, some of his portraits had been mistakenly attributed to J. William Jennys" due to a misreading of his signature. The relationship between William and Richard Jennys, both of whom were painting in New Milford about the same time, is still unclear. Both often painted portraits in oval formats and there has been much confusion between the two artists. Cf. William Jennings.

Sources: G&W; Warren, "The Jennys Portraits" (with catalogue of a Jennys exhibition at the Conn. Hist. Soc., Nov. 1955-Jan. 1956); Warren, "A Checklist of Jennys Portraits"; Sherman, Richard Jennys, 65-67; Dods, "Newly Discovered Portraits by J. William Jennys"; Dods, "More About Jennys"; NYCD 1797-98. More recently, see Baigell, Dictionary; Saunders and Miles, 275-76; Muller, Paintings and Drawings at the Shelburne, 84 (w/repros.); Art in Conn.: Early Days to the Gilded Age."