Portrait of General William Robinson
Portrait of General William Robinson
Portrait of General William Robinson

Portrait of General William Robinson

Object number2002.64.1
Artist
Date1810
MediumOil on canvas; Wood; Plaster
Credit LineGift of the children of Mr. & Mrs. George Collins Burgwin III; In memory of Mr. & Mrs. G.C. Burgwin III
DescriptionFramed oil painting. Three quarter bust portrait of a man with dark hair. He is dressed in a dark coat with black velvet trim, wide lapels, and a high collar, with a white shirt underneath. His right shoulder is visible, the other mostly turned from view. The figure is set against a deep brown background.Dimensions42.4999 x 36.9999 x 3.5 in. (108 x 94 x 8.9 cm)
Signedappears to be unsigned
Historical NotesThis painting is one of a pair descended in the Robinson (Blair) family. William Robinson married Mary Parker of Carlisle, Pa., in 1810. This painting resemblles a wedding portrait, and may have been executed during a trip to Philadelphia in the 1820's. General Robinson lived in a large brick house on Federal street (b.1803) and was elected first mayor of Allegheny in 1840. He was first president of the Ohio & Pennsylania Railroad, and the Exchange Bank of Pittsburgh.Label TextThese portraits may have been painted for the Robinson's wedding in 1810 or during a trip to Philadelphia a decade later. The first mayor of Allegheny City, now Pittsburgh's North Side, Robinson also became the first president of the Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad and the Exchange Bank of Pittsburgh. General Robinson Street is named for him. The Robinson/Blair family passed these treasured portraits from generation to generation until donating them in 2002.
Related person (1785 - 1868)
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